With a name like mojo rojo, these prawns have a high expectation for tasting as exciting as they sound. Luckily, our chefs have hit the jackpot with this combination of succulent New Zealand prawns, sweet shallot, smoky cumin spices and sunny saffron aioli. Even better is the humble charred ciabatta used to mop up every last morsel of goodness.
Mojo Rojo Prawns with Charred Ciabatta & Saffron Aioli
Ingredients
Capsicum
- 1 capsicum thinly sliced
- 1 drizzle oil
Prawns
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 chilli thinly sliced
- 3 tomatoes diced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Smoky cumin spices (1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp cumin seeds)
- 100 g fire roasted tomatoes or canned tomatoes
- 300 g prawns defrosted
Bread
- 1 ciabatta loaf sliced
- 1 drizzle olive oil
To Serve
- 1 bunch parsley leaves picked
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp saffron aioli or plain aioli mixed with a pinch of saffron powder
Instructions
- Before you start, preheat oven to high grill.
- Prep capsicum. Toss on a lined oven tray with oil and season with salt. Grill for about 10 minutes, until blistered.
- Prep shallot, garlic, chilli and tomato. Reserve some chilli to garnish. Heat oil in a medium fry-pan on medium-high heat. Cook shallot and garlic for 3 minutes, until starting to soften. Add chilli and smoky cumin spices and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add canned and fresh tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes until tomatoes have broken down.
- Add prawns to pan, ensure they are submerged in sauce, then simmer for 5 minutes, until cooked through. Add a splash of water if needed, to ensure prawns are fully submerged when they cook. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice bread thickly, place on an oven tray and drizzle with olive oil. Toast on upper oven rack for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown.
- To finish, scatter capsicum over prawns. Prep parsley.
- Serve prawns drizzled with olive oil and topped with parsley and reserved chilli. Serve bread and saffron aioli on the side.
*This recipe featured in My Gourmet Bag.
