Freshwater Prawns

Move over, shrimp and lobster, and make room for the prawn! These Delta-grown delicacies are delicious and nutritious. With a mild, sweet taste more related to the lobster than a marine shrimp, these prawns are likely to become a mainstay on tables Delta-wide.

Recipes by Dolores Fratesi

www.laurenfarms.com

Prawn Salad for a Feast

½ cup olive oil
1 qt. mayonnaise
2 T hot sauce
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T lemon juice
2-3 tsp. salt
1 T creole mustard
2 dozen hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 cup chopped dill pickles
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped black olives
2 lbs. cooked, peeled prawns, chopped a little
2 lbs. seashell macaroni, cooked and cooled

Beat together olive oil and mayo. Stir in hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt and creole mustard. Set aside. Mix together chopped eggs, onion, dill pickles, celery, black olives, prawns and cooled macaroni. Pour dressing over mixture and stir. Cover and chill. Serves 20 to 25 people.

Prawns wrapped in Prosciutto

2 lbs. freshwater prawns, peeled
4 oz. Prosciutto
1/2 cup butter, divided
1/ 2 cup olive oil, divided
Juice of 4 lemons
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced Kalamata olives (packed in olive oil)

Wrap strips of Prosciutto around prawns and fasten with toothpicks. Melt 1/4 cup butter in large, deep skillet and add 1/4 cup olive oil. Sauté the Prosciutto-wrapped prawns on both sides until they turn nice and pink. (Be sure not to overcook the prawns or they will be tough.) Line up the prawns on a serving platter and remove the toothpicks, leaving drippings on the skillet. Stir remaining butter and olive oil in the skillet. Add the lemon juice, garlic, parsley and olives. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until liquid is somewhat reduced. Dribble sauce over the wrapped prawns. Serve over plain or pesto seasoned pasta.

Prawn Pizza (editor's favorite!)

1 lb. large prawns, peeled, cleaned and cut in half lengthwise
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T chopped oregano (or 1 tsp. dried oregano)
1 T chopped thyme (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)
1 T basil (or 1 tsp. dried basil)
Salt to taste
One package of 2 pizza crusts
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated Italian 5-cheese blend
4 Roma tomatoes, ends trimmed, cut in thin slices
4 oz. goat cheese, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup red and yellow bell peppers, julienne and sautéed
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Sprinkle a little garlic salt to taste over the top

Prepare the prawns in a large, shallow bowl, combine with olive oil, oregano, thyme, basil and salt, turning to coat and flavor. Marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Heat a skillet or a sauté pan large enough to hold the prawns in one layer and spoon one T of the oil from the marinate into the skillet. Carefully arrange the prawns in the skillet, and over high heat. Sauté just to color, 30 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Season with salt. Layer the pizza: start with mozzarella, then Italian cheese blend, tomato, onion, prawns, goat cheese and red and yellow peppers. Bake at 450 until crust is golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.