125 ml (½ cup) grapeseed or
other neutral-flavoured oil
30 gm (about 6cm) ginger,
coarsely chopped
1 long red chilli, coarsely
chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
18 large green king prawns,
peeled and deveined,
tails intact
Honey (see note),
for drizzling
Roasted sesame seeds,
to serve
Lemon wedges, to serve
1 Combine oil, ginger, chilli and
coriander seeds in a blender
and blend until smooth. Transfer
to a non-reactive container (see
Barbecued prawns with honey,
sesame and lemon
SERVES 6-8 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 5 MINS (PLUS MARINATING)
Honey, sesame and salt flakes come together in an addictive
coating that works wonders for the good old barbecued
prawn. Begin this recipe a day ahead to marinate the prawns.
Pictured p115.
Fried chicken wings with blue-cheese sauce
SERVES 6-8 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 35 MINS (PLUS CHILLING, BRINING, MARINATING)
Dilemma: it’s hot out, but the allure of fried chicken is strong. The solution?
Serve it cold. It’s just as good, and a sure-fire way to please a crowd between
dips. Begin two days ahead to brine and marinate the chicken. Pictured p117.
cook’s notes, p126), add prawns
and a few large pinches of
salt, and toss to coat. Refrigerate
overnight to marinate.
2 Preheat a barbecue to
medium-high. Thread prawns
onto skewers, keeping them
straight, then grill, turning
occasionally, until charred
and just cooked through
(4-5 minutes). Remove skewers
and transfer prawns to a platter.
Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with
sesame seeds and salt flakes
to taste. Serve with lemon.
Note We used raw Mallee
honey for its floral quality.
Drink suggestion Aperol
Spritz, or a fresh, young,
floral viognier.2 kg chicken wings, jointed,
wing tips reserved for
another use
400 gm plain flour
1 tsp coarsely ground
black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Vegetable oil, for
deep-frying
Hot sauce, to serve
BRINE
200 gm fine salt
150 gm caster sugar
BUTTERMILK MARINADE
600 ml buttermilk
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp ground black pepper
BLUE-CHEESE SAUCE
100 gm blue cheese
175 ml buttermilk
90 gm mayonnaise
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
1 For brine, combine salt, sugar
and 3 litres of water in a large
saucepan and bring to the
boil, stirring to dissolve. Cool
to room temperature, then
refrigerate to chill. Submerge
chicken wings in liquid and
refrigerate overnight to brine.
2 For buttermilk marinade,
whisk ingredients together in
a large bowl. Drain chicken, add
to buttermilk and refrigerate
overnight to marinate.
3 For blue-cheese sauce,
process cheese, buttermilk and
mayonnaise in a food processor
until smooth. Season well with
black pepper, then stir in chives.
Refrigerate until needed.
4 Bring chicken and marinade
to room temperature (1 hour).
Combine flour, black pepper,
cayenne pepper, garlic powder
and onion powder in a large
bowl. Transfer two-thirds of flourmixture to a separate bowl (the
flour will get clumpy as you add
the chicken, and will need to be
refreshed). Heat 6cm oil in a
wide saucepan until it reaches
160°C on a thermometer. In
batches, and topping up oil as
needed, dust chicken in flour
mixture (topping up as needed)
until well coated, then fry, turning
occasionally, until golden and
cooked through (12-16 minutes;
be careful, hot oil will spit). Drain
on paper towels and serve hot,
or chilled, with hot sauce and
blue-cheese sauce. Wings will
keep refrigerated in an airtight
container for 3 days.
Wine suggestion Full-flavoured
blanc de noir.Nothing says summer
like barbecued prawns,
preferably enjoyed
with a Spritz in hand,
and something sweet
and icy to finish.