Spanish Garlic Prawns on a Bed of Rice 🇪🇸

Once upon a time in Subiaco, a trendy suburb of Perth, there was a restaurant called the 'Witch's Cauldron' renowned for its garlic prawns.  Passersby were always greeted with the aroma of garlic sizzling in burnt butter beckoning them in.  I use olive oil and just a little butter in this recipe and refrain from drowning them in a heavy cream sauce.  With Australian wild caught prawns so sweet and succulent, the less you do to them the better.  Spanish-style garlic prawns are often served with crusty bread or as part of a selection of tapas.  I serve them on a bed of mixed basmati and red rice.  (My mixed rice with Australian Old Man Saltbush would also be a good accompaniment for this dish.)   Dinner is ready in minutes with a side salad, simple and elegant.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 16 raw prawns (250g / 9oz prepared weight) 
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• juice of half a lemon, plus lemon wedges for garnishing
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup of cooked basmati rice
• ½ cup of cooked red rice

METHOD

1. Keep cooked basmati rice and red rice warm in a lidded saucepan or container.
2. Remove heads and shells from prawns, then make a slit on the back of each prawn to expose and remove the vein.
3. In a cold frying pan place olive oil, butter, sliced garlic and chilli flakes.  Turn on the heat, allowing the oil to gently heat up until it is sizzling.  Cook over medium heat for 1 minute.  The garlic will start to release their flavour.  Adjust the heat if required so they don't burn.
4. Add the prawns and spread them out in the pan with your spatula.  Bring the oil back to sizzling and flip the prawns over after about 2 minutes.  Cook the other side for 1 more minute until the prawns have turned completely opaque and curled up. 
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle over the lemon juice.  Give everything a quick toss and remove from heat.
6. Sprinkle over the paprika and parsley.  Serve immediately over mixed basmati and red rice.  Garnish with lemon wedges.