Kataifi Prawn & Watermelon
A delicious and fresh Prawn & Watermelon dish for Christmas (or any other) Celebration.
Created by Phil Helyard, who has been a part of our restaurant for over 10 years, this recipe is a Peel St version of food that is usually found at the Christmas table.
We hope you try it out and enjoy it with you family, friends and loved ones.
Serves: 5 people as a larger dish or 10 as a shared entree/snack.
Click here for video.
Yoghurt and feta crumble
Cherry agrodolce
Kataifi wrapped prawns
Ingredient List
Fetta Labneh
300g greek yoghurt
150g sheep’s feta
1 lemon
Cherry Agrodolce
300g pitted cherries
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 long red chilli, diced
2 bay leaves
1/4 bunch thyme, sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
150ml red wine vinegar
100ml. honey
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Kataifi Prawns
10 U10 raw king prawns
375g kataifi pastry (about half a packet)
Watermelon Salad
1/2 watermelon
80g roasted pistachios, roasted
1 red onion, sliced
red wine vinegar
Hand-full of Wild rocket leaves
1/2 cup of celery heart leaves
1 lemon
Pinch of aleppo pepper
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Pinch of sugar
Method
Fetta Labneh
Place the yoghurt in a clean Chux or cheesecloth. Put the Chux in colander over a bowl overnight to remove excess moisture.
Next day, transfer the yoghurt into a clean bowl and crumble the feta over the top.
Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon.
Mix well and set aside.
Cherry Agrodolce
Preheat a medium size pan with a good glug of of EVOO.
Add onions, a good pinch of salt and black pepper and sauteé for a couple of minutes, or until the onions start turning translucent.
Add garlic, chilli, bay leaves, thyme and cherries. Continue to sauteé over medium heat for 5-10mins. Let the ingredients sweat without browning.
Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar and honey.
Reduce until the mix has a thick and syrup-like texture. Set aside to cool.
Kataifi Prawns
Peel and devein (or ‘poop’) the prawns, remove heads while keeping the tails on. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Separate the kataifi pastry into strands and tightly wrap each prawn individually. Secure it by wetting your hand and slightly squeezing the prawns.
Preheat a wok or pot with a neutral oil to approximately 170°C. In batches, fry the prawns until golden for approximately 1-2 minutes. Remove from oil and place over a paper towel or cooling rack. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Watermelon Salad
Slice the red onion and place it in a bowl with a splash of red wine vinegar to coat. Add a pinch of sugar and salt.
Peel and clean watermelon. Cut it into 2-inch by 1-inch blocks.
Plating
On a large serving platter, arrange the watermelon pieces.
Place a teaspoon of feta labneh on top of each piece.
Add a prawn on top, followed by the cherry agrodolce, pickled onions and pistachios.
Garnish with the rocket and celery heart leaves. Dress it with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of aleppo pepper.
Serve and enjoy.
