Saturday, February 25, 2017

Prawn Provencale – Eating the 80’s

I’m not sure these are actually prawns, and I’ve never been to Provence, but this great appetizer was called Prawn Provencale when I learned it working for a caterer, back in the 80’s. It was a crazy time, or so I’m told, and this delicious garlic and herb shrimp pop is one of the more vivid memories I have.

It does take some time to butterfly the prawns, but as I mentioned in the video, everything can be done ahead of time, including the crumbing. Just pan them up, and bake them off, once your guests arrive. Preferably in waves, so they can be enjoyed warm.

In case you’re wondering, while biologically different, culinarily speaking, shrimp and prawns are the same thing. I used to know the difference a long time ago, like in the 80’s, but my brain must’ve erased it for more storage space.

One major tip here is to be sure and season your breadcrumb mixture very well. You can season the shrimp also, but I don’t, and instead make sure the mixture has plenty of everything. Once they’re baked, you can serve with any number of dips, or just some fresh lemon. So, whether you’re making these for a party or not, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 2 pounds shrimp (about 32 pieces)
2 pounds shrimp (16-20 per pound), butterflied
olive oil for brushing pan

For the breadcrumb mixture:
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed fine with dried herbs and salt)
kosher salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon dry oregano
1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
1/3 cup Italian parsley
1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
cayenne to taste
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil, or as needed

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello Chef John, Great to see another great recipe. I will use my new mortar and pestle which I purchased after seeing one of your other recipes for pork loin. I made your apple fritters today, my wife was so impressed. Thanks for all you do.

beemo said...

This episode has to be one of your best yet, in about six different ways.

It would be nice to hear more recollections from your whole career, they're so entertaining.

Matt said...

What do you think about substituting butter for some of the olive oil in the crumb mixture?

Kurt '45superman' Hofmann said...

"Just pan them up, and bake them off, once your guests arrive. Preferably in waves, so they can be enjoyed warm."

At what temperature are guests most enjoyable?

Sandra from Montreal said...

How much Parmesan did you use, Chef? TIA!

Kennapop3 said...

My new favorite! What's next on your Blog?

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John, could please have your webmaster set up sections for slow cooker and one pot recipes? I have small children now and I would like to be able to navigate for easier recipes for weeknights. Keep up all your delicious work!

ZS said...

Your video shows you adding Parmigiano Reggiano (no less :) to the breadcrumb mixture. Your list of ingredients skips over that. You may want to fix it.

Mike said...

Would never have thought to make anything like this if you hadn't put in on your blog. The 80's get a bad rap for a lot of valid reasons, but maybe we can get a few more throwbacks? Such a fun departure from the recipes we typically see today!