60 ml (¼ cup) canola or other
neutral-flavoured oil
5 garlic cloves, finely
chopped
1-2 long red chillies, thinly
sliced
1 kg green Australian prawns,
such as king prawns, peeled
and deveined, tails intact
1 cup (loosely packed) Thai
basil, plus extra to serve
Lime cheeks, to serveEasy Christmas prawns
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 10 MINS // COOK 5 MINS“This time of year is synonymous with the trusty prawn, and
they’ve been making an appearance at our family Christmas
for years when basil and chilli are also at their finest,” says
Hamilton. “This relaxed dish can be done on a barbecue or
a cooktop, it doesn’t really matter, just make sure you share
it on a sunny day with people you like. The rest is simple.”1 Preheat a barbecue flat-plate,
a large wok or a deep frying
pan to high. Add oil, then add
garlic and stir-fry until light
golden (10-20 seconds). Add
chilli and stir-fry until tender
(10 seconds), then add prawns
and toss to combine. Season
to taste and continue to stir-fry
until prawns are opaque and
just cooked (2-3 minutes).
Add basil, toss until wilted
(5-10 seconds), then serve
prawns immediately with
lime cheeks and extra basil.
Beer suggestionPrawns
and beer were meant to
be together, so grab an IPA –
something fruity like Fixation
Squish, dripping with citrus.250 gm skinless fillet of kingfish
or Australian salmon,
pin-boned and bloodline
removed, cut into 1cm dice
1 green jalapeño or long green
chilli, finely diced
1 tbsp thinly sliced coriander
stalks
1 finger lime, halved
crossways
Juice of ½ lime (or to taste),
plus lime wedges to serve
50 gm(1⁄4 cup) pineapple,
cut into 1cm dice
12 betel leaves (see note),
or 24 large perilla leaves,
to serve
FRIED-SHALLOT OIL
250 ml (1 cup) canola or other
neutral-flavoured oil
4 red or golden shallots,
thinly slicedKingsh crudo with pineapple
and betel leaves
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 15 MINS“At Liberté, we use the sustainable, but often misunderstood,
Australian salmon, which is abundant in the west at this time
of year. Kingfish is a great alternative,” says Hamilton. “Use both
the fried shallots, and the oil, in this dish.”Pictured p97.1 For fried-shallot oil, heat oil in
a saucepan over medium heat.
Add shallot, reduce heat to low,
and cook, stirring often, until
golden and crisp (10-15 minutes).
Strain through a metal sieve,
reserving oil, then drain on
paper towels.
2 Combine kingfish, jalapeño
and coriander stalks in a bowl,
squeeze in finger lime pearls,
then add lime juice, pineapple
and 1 tbsp fried-shallot oil.
Season to taste and serve with
betel leaves, reserved fried
shallots and lime wedges.
NoteBetel leaves are available
from select Asian grocers.
Wine suggestionGreat
Southern riesling.100 GOURMET TRAVELLER