For a Christmas Eve dinner that looks impressive but is easy to make, this seafood dish ticks the boxes
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers, halved and deseeded
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, plus 1 whole peeled clove
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 125ml white wine or vermouth
- 800g large prawns, unpeeled
- 1 baguette, sliced into 2cm pieces
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- For the gremolata
- small bunch of parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small lemon, zested
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the peppers, cut-side up, in a roasting tin. Scatter the sliced garlic into the peppers. Drizzle over half the oil and add a splash of the wine. Season. Cover with foil and bake for 40 mins. Leave to cool for 10 mins. If making ahead, leave at room temperature for up to a few hours until ready to use.
STEP 2
Meanwhile, prepare the prawns. Remove the heads, peel, and leave the tails intact, if you like. Or, for more flavour, leave them unpeeled. Use a sharp knife to cut down the back of each prawn from the head to just before the tail (this is harder to do if unpeeled, but still worth it). You’ll find a black line along some prawns. Remove this with the knife. Keep chilled, following pack instructions, until ready to cook.
STEP 3
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Rub the baguette slices with the garlic clove, then drizzle with 2 tbsp oil. Bake for 10 mins. Leave to cool. Can be made a few hours ahead. For the gremolata, combine the parsley, garlic, oil and lemon zest with a pinch of salt (no more than 1 hr before serving). Cut the lemon in half and set aside.
STEP 4
Uncover the peppers, then peel and discard the skins. Slice or tear the peppers into strips. Turn the oven up to 240C/220C fan/gas 8.
STEP 5
Put the prawns and peppers into a 25cm round baking dish. Toss with the rest of the wine, paprika and remaining oil. Season. Lay the prawns in a single layer with the lemon halves, cut-side up. Roast for 10 mins, tossing halfway. The prawns will turn pink when ready. 6 Meanwhile, spread the gremolata over the toasts. Squeeze the lemon halves over the prawns, and serve with the toasts on the side.