Chilli and Lime Prawns

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 500g whole raw shell-on king prawns (de-veined)
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3-6 tbsp palm sugar (to taste)
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 6-10 Thai chillies (to taste)
  • Juice of 2-3 limes (to taste)
  • 1 tbsp oil for frying
  • Spring onions (optional garnish)

Method

  1. Roughly chop the Thai chillies.
  2. In a food processor, blitz together the garlic, chillies, palm sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice until combined. (Alternatively, you can use a pestle and mortar to grind down the garlic, chillies and palm sugar, then mix in the fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice.)
  3. Put the prawns in a bowl, then pour over the two-thirds of the marinade. Mix the marinade with the prawns (do not use bare hands) and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
  5. Fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes on each side, brushing them with the remaining marinade as they cook.
  6. Prawns will be ready when they are orange-pink in colour and white on the inside. Top with chopped spring onions.

Brownies

Serves 12

Ingredients

  • 300g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken up into chunks
  • 185g salted caramel or butterscotch milk chocolate, chopped into ~1cm pieces
  • 180g unsalted butter, cut into ~1cm cubes
  • 135g dark brown sugar
  • 260g caster sugar
  • 4 large free range eggs, room temperature
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 120g plain flour
  • 60g cocoa powder
  • 1.5 tsp salt

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan)/ gas mark 4. Line a 10-12 inch rectangular tray with greaseproof paper. The greaseproof paper should overhang by an inch or two.
  2. Melt the dark chocolate and butter using bain marie method.
  3. In a bowl, add both sugars and the vanilla extract. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
  4. Once chocolate and butter has melted, take it off the heat and mix to remove any remaining lumps. Leave to cool.
  5. Once cooled, whisk the chocolate and butter mix into the batter.
  6. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt to the bowl and fold into the brownie batter using a wooden spoon.
  7. Fold in the salted caramel/butterscotch milk chocolate pieces.
  8. Spread brownie batter into baking tray, ensuring it is level all over.
  9. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.
  10. Leave to cool down completely before removing from the tray and cutting into 12 squares.
  11. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt (optional).

Blondies

Serves 12

Ingredients

  • 255g unsalted butter
  • 320g dark brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 350g plain flour
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 150g butterscotch milk chocolate, chopped
  • 75g vanilla white chocolate, chopped

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan)/ gas mark 4. Line a 10-12 inch rectangular tray with greaseproof paper. The greaseproof paper should overhang by an inch or two.
  2. In a pan on medium heat, melt the butter until brown solids are formed. Once browned, transfer the butter into a large bowl to cool.
  3. Once the butter has cooled, add the brown sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk until well combined.
  4. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
  5. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix into the blondie batter using a wooden spoon. Mix thoroughly until the batter starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  6. Fold in the chopped butterscotch milk chocolate and the vanilla white chocolate.
  7. Pour batter into baking tray, ensuring it is level all over.
  8. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.
  9. Leave to cool down completely before removing from the tray and cutting into 12 squares.
  10. Decorate with a drizzle of extra melted vanilla white chocolate (optional).