Peruvian prawns and green rice

On my culinary journey around the world (read: using international recipes and experimenting in my own kitchen) I have landed in South America, Peru to be precise. 

My love for prawns is legendary and started in very early childhood, when a special Saturday treat was to pick prawns from their shells in front of the TV, neatly place them on pieces of a fresh baguette and devour while watching an entertainment show with mum, dad and my older brother. We even had small individual bowls of lemon water to dip our messy prawny fingers in. This is one of my fondest childhood memories.

Another childhood memory, although very brief, is of deep fried prawns. Mum used to make them for herself and dad when I was very young. My brother turned his nose up and refused to eat them, which was perfect, as it was apparently a fiddly and time consuming meal to prepare. One day I asked to try a deep fried prawn. That was the end of my parents' dinner for two. As a child, I could eat... a lot. No more deep fried prawns, as mum would have to cook for three people. I wonder if she ever made them again, even after I left home. 

When I was a teenager mum used to serve hot & spicy prawns on a Friday or Saturday before I headed out to the local disco to go dancing with my friends. I never expected there to be a hidden agenda, until mum once let slip that with all the garlic in the dish, there was no risk of any boys coming near me. Well, that's what I call sneaky parenting! On that note, I must say that I was a very well behaved teenager. Quite well behaved anyway.

If I had to make a choice between fish and prawns, I would always go for prawns. Any size, plain or seasoned, shelled or peeled, they are all divine. Although I love them as they come, I still look for interesting ways of cooking and serving them. Now I have come to Peru for inspiration and learned that they should be served with rice. To make the rice especially Peruvian, it should be green and started off with bacon grease. Yes, you read that correctly. Save the grease from your morning bacon fry-up and soften the onion in it before adding the rice.

I didn't have bacon for breakfast, so I cooked a few fatty pieces, removed the bacon and cooked the onion. I then decided that it was a shame to waste the bacon and it was such a small amount anyway, so I added it back to the pan.

Anyway, this is what you need to make Peruvian prawns and green rice:

Rice

50-60 (or 2 handfuls) of fresh coriander

1.5 cup water

1.5 tbsp bacon grease

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 cup jasmin rice (I used a wild rice and basmati mix)

1.5 tsp salt

1/4 cup peas

1 carrot, diced

Prawns

1/2 cup white wine, chicken or vegetable stock (I used wine)

2 tbsp lime or lemon juice

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp paprika

salt & pepper

olive oil

1 lb prawns

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

fresh coriander for serving (I left this out, considering the coriander in the rice)

1. Prepare the onion, garlic and carrot.

2. Blitz the fresh coriander in the water with a stick blender until totally liquid.

3. Measure the rice.

4. Soften the onion, garlic and carrot in the bacon grease.

5. While the carrot mixture is cooking, mix the sauce for the prawns. Mix the wine and lemon juice with the seasoning.

6. By now the onion should have softened.

As you can see, this is when I decided not to waste the small pieces of bacon I had picked out after releasing the grease. 

7. Add the rice and the coriander liquid.

8. Pop the lid on and allow to simmer for approximately 15 minutes, until cooked. You may have to add a little more water at the end.

9. In a frying pan, cook the prawns with garlic. 

I used already cooked prawns, although the recipe called for raw ones. 

10. Get the peas out.

11. Set the prawns aside in a bowl.

12. Add the prawn sauce to the frying pan and cook on high heat for approximately 5 minutes, until it has reduced a little.

13. When the rice is almost cooked, add the peas.

14. The sauce won't thicken as such, as there is no thickening agent in it, but once it has reduced a little, it is ready for the prawns.

If you want a thicker sauce, add some corn starch.

15. Add the prawns and let them cook in the sauce for a minute or two.

16. Start dishing up. 

To contain the saucy prawns, I opted for a rice circle.

17. Finish serving and enjoy your meal.

Although there was a lot of coriander in this dish, it wasn't overbearing. In fact, the flavours were quite subtle and really nice. Next time I may try root or cauliflower rice, to make it more waistline friendly. I did however not know how the green cooking liquid would behave, so I decided on proper rice for my first try. From now on I can experiment as I please and I will.