Garlic miso prawns with lentils

Good combo

You might well be a little suspicious: prawns with lentils? It’s not a common combination, unless in Indian curries where red lentils will be used, or Mediterranean salads which also feature other ingredients.

But what’s not to like about the pairing? Garlic prawns are, frankly, delicious whatever you serve them with, and lentils are an excellent canvas: a plant base full of fibre for the lean protein heroes. But nutrition aside, this combination is surprisingly well-matched, making a delicious dish requiring only a bit of green salad on the side.

All about prawns

Do not waste your money on fresh prawns. Five times out of ten they will have been previously frozen anyway, since prawns aimed for supermarkets are normally frozen straight away on boats. Unless you live in a coastal region with a prawn-fishing port, your best bet is the freezer section with MSC (or ASC if farmed) certified shellfish.

You can buy them shell-on, so called ‘easy-peel’ (headless and veinless), or peeled. I usually go for the second option because it saves some peeling faff but offers a much better flavour than peeled ones.

How to make prawns juicy

The secret to succulent prawns is simple: soaking in salty water with a little bicarbonate of soda. I’ve learned that trick from Kenji Lopez-Alt’s The Food Lab.

It works especially well for defrosting prawns too, because you can just plonk them frozen into a bowl of water with a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of bicarb and leave in the kitchen for a couple of hours, or in the fridge for most of the day. So if you remember to do that in the morning, you’ll come home to defrosted, plump prawns.

Once peeled, it’s important to thoroughly dry them. Seared prawns will be deliciously juicy unless they steam in liquid.

How to cook best ever prawns

This is a lesson from America Test Kitchen’s Lan Lam. You’d never believe (or was it just me?) that the best method is to place prawns into cold pan, only lightly brushed with oil.

Then turn the heat on high and keep the pan on for three minutes, four if the prawns are mega jumbo. They will turn pink underneath, whence you need to take the pan off the heat and turn them over, one by one.

The other side will cook on the residual heat from the pan and I can assure you this will suffice to cook the prawns through but not overdo them.

The next step depends on how you want to season them, but basically, remove them from the pan, melt some oil or butter and seasoning in it (garlic, sweet chilli sauce and miso butter int his instance), and sweat briefly. Then return the prawns into the pan, off the heat again, and toss them to cover and flavour. That’s all to the most delicious, juicy garlic prawns you’ve ever tasted.

All kinds of lentils

Lentils belong to the plant family of pulses, and there are several varieties of them. Red and yellow lentils aka split peas are common in the Indian subcontinent cuisines. Their texture is mushier, more easily pureed, hence they are used to prepare dhal and soups.

Green and brown lentils keep their shape when cooked so they are better suited to use in salads and dishes where the firmer texture is important. Black (beluga) lentils, as the name suggests, are the caviar of the pulse world with a lovely, nutty flavour. Green lentils are similar, with a slightly softer texture. My usual go-to variety is French puy lentils, green and speckled grey. They cook quickly, don’t need soaking and look like lovely, tiny buttons especially when drizzled with olive oil.

Dried or cooked?

In this recipe I suggest using cooked lentils from a tin or a pouch for a quick supper, but if time is not of essence, do always cook them from scratch. It is easy too: no soaking is required, simply rinsing. Then cover the lentils with plenty fresh water with no salt and simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes depending on a variety. Start testing for cookedness after fifteen, and they should be tender with a bite.

Once drained, you can toss them with some olive oil and if not using straight away, store in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.

More prawn recipes

Prawn Creole for two served with plain rice is my signature special main dish these days. Easy sauce base and roux, and homemade Creole seasoning recipe included.

Prawn burgers with spicy slaw. Fried but briefly, loaded with crunchy slaw scant on mayo, made of the best source of protein in the discovered universe – who says you can’t have the best of all worlds?

Spicy shell on prawns cooked with garlic, lemon and sriracha. Serve with some crusty freshly baked, a green salad and your lunch or supper is sorted.

More lentil recipes

Lentil and mushroom bake with red peppers and a little spinach for vibrant colour. Lentils are cooked from scratch but no soaking required for this recipe.

Lentil and chorizo stew, with ripe fresh tomatoes and lentils cooked from scratch - or a 15-minute shortcut to just as wonderful spicy, hearty dish. This recipe for lentils and chorizo is a cross between Spanish lentil stew and Mexican chilli.

Brown butter lentil and sweet potato salad is a delicious combo of roasted sweet potato chunks, green or puy lentils cooked from scratch and a super flavoursome dressing made with sage leaves and brown butter. With crumbled blue or goats cheese on top, optionally.