Baked Stuffed Prawns

Posted by thibeaultstable on
  Spot Prawn season opened this week.  Something I really look forward too.   I don’t like shrimp, but I love our local spot prawns.   The flavour and texture remind me more of lobster, both in the sweetness and in texture.   The season usually lasts for about six weeks.  Not nearly long enough.    
We will have them as often as possible over the next few weeks and before the season ends, I’ll buy ten or 15 pounds to freeze.
Ready to go into the oven.
Tonight we had Dan’s Baked Stuffed Prawns. 
This is a recipe that I have been making for 15 years.  A great first course for a dinner party or, like tonight, as a main course.

NOTE:  Over the years, I have made various adjustments to this recipe.  In tonight’s version I left out the mushrooms and instead seasoned with hot red pepper flakes and fresh lemon zest. 

Dan’s Baked Stuffed Prawns

Gourmet 1996

18 jumbo shrimp
(about 2 pounds), shelled,
leaving tail and connecting shell segment intact
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley leaves
Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 375°F. and butter a large baking dish.

For stuffing
1 cup chopped mushrooms (about 1/4 pound)
3 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons minced celery ribs
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over
1/2 cup chicken broth
32 Ritz crackers
(about two thirds of a 12-ounce package),
crushed into coarse crumbs

Make stuffing:
In a large heavy skillet cook mushrooms, onion, celery, garlic, and
parsley in butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until
softened and liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add scallops or
crab meat and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir
in broth and cracker crumbs and remove skillet from heat.

Butterfly shrimp by cutting lengthwise along inside curve, almost
completely through. Split open shrimp and devein. Mound about 2
tablespoons stuffing onto each shrimp, pressing gently, and put shrimp,
stuffed sides up, in baking dish. Melt butter and drizzle over shrimp.
Sprinkle shrimp with paprika and bake 20 minutes, or until stuffing is
golden.

Garnish shrimp with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

7 Comments Add yours

  1. Schnitzel and the Trout says:
    May 7, 2011 at 10:43 am

    What a wonderful recipe. Looks so good. Wish I was closer to your area to enjoy these also.

  2. Valerie Harrison (bellini) says:
    May 7, 2011 at 11:37 am

    I am headed to our local fishmonger because I know they will have the biggest and the best we can have shipped to our area! There will even be a spot prawn festival but not until the tail end of the season.

  3. Gerry @Foodness Gracious says:
    May 8, 2011 at 3:32 am

    These look awesome and great finger food, I could easily do some damage to a large plate of these. Could reg shrimp take place of the spot's if they are too hard to find?

  4. Thibeault's Table says:
    May 8, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    Susan, I use local spot prawns but the original recipe calls for large shrimp. And you can use any crab, (lump, snow crab, etc.) it doesn't have to be Dungeness. Val, there is a prawn festival in Cowichan Bay next weekend.Foodness Gracious (great blog name) just use large size regular shrimp.Ann

  5. Cathy says:
    May 8, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    I don't recall seeing spot prawns here in our local markets. I would love to try them so will check at Whole Foods. If not, I'll use large shrimp. And Dungeness crab is readily available now. I know my family will love this, Ann. Happy Mother's Day to you!

  6. Suzy says:
    May 8, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    I love stuffed shrimp. Yours look great Ann.

  7. Linda says:
    May 11, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    I missed this somehow…I have also been making this same recipe for many years. I think I even posted it on the board. It is a winner and your prawns look so good…they are making me huingry for them right now!L xo

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