Spicy Lemon Grass and Coriander Grilled Prawns

Prawns are always good when cooked on the barbecue. This recipe is for really large prawns that you can butterfly open. As an alternative you can use uncooked lobster halves. I like to serve the prawns with a "Vietnamese Noodle Salad" (see recipe) but it is also good with boiled rice or a simple salad.

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Prep: 15-20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes (medium high on the BBQ see techniques)

Ingredients

Prawns

18 very large prawns, or 24 large prawns

Marinade

6 tbsp finely chopped coriander
2 lemon grass stems finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
180ml coconut milk
2 tsp honey

Lemongrass and Coriander Butter:

125g butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp coconut milk
4 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
1 tbsp lemongrass, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime

Method

Prawns: Trim the prawns legs and butterfly them open from the leg side (be careful not to cut all the way though the shell). De-vein the prawn and spoon out the head cavity.
Marinade: Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Place the prawns in the marinade and coat them well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the prawns in the marinade for 1-3 hours.
Coriander and Lemongrass Butter: Place all the butter ingredients in a food processor and blend them together until well combined or mix them together in a bowl with a fork until well combined.
To Cook: Spoon the marinade over the flesh side of the prawns and place the cut side down on a hot barbecue for 5-8 minutes dependent on their size until they are pink and cooked through. Remove them from the barbecue and keep them hot until ready to serve.
To Serve: Spoon a little of the coriander and lemongrass butter on each prawn and serve with a Vietnamese noodle salad or your choice of accompaniment. If the prawns have cooled, place them under a hot grill briefly with the butter.