As the 4th of July weekend arrives at
neck braking speed and the United States of America celebrates her
234th anniversary of the signing of the
Declaration of independence, it's that time of year - a time for long
barbecues, ice cold lemonade, irate family, long beer guzzling sessions,
fly swatters, yummy desserts and of course fire works.
Long holiday weekends surrounded by family and friends are the best time to pull out those recipes that present like we've been slaving on a hot stove for hours when in reality it's been no hassle & no fuss.
And to that end I have just the thing for you - delicious prawns marinated in Asian spices and skewered not on bamboo but fragrant lemon grass. Ooh! just saying makes me want to smack my lips!
So before we get right down to it, here's a little bit of history so you can thoroughly impress your guests!
This is Jakarta, Indonesia - a land with its share of grime, crime, dirt and poverty and on the other end of the spectrum, throngs of the stinking rich & affluent, a land of have's and have not's. Beneath this layer, is a rich labyrinth of culture, history, stunning architecture and soulful people. And for me that heart is found not in the air conditioned palaces & westernized five star deluxe hotels that are plentiful like fleas on a stray but here, in the historical port district of Sunda Kelapa.
I will forever remember Sunda Kelapa for these
things ~ the ever smiling friendly locals, Phinisi Schooners & the best Balinese prawnsatays - Satay Udang I had ever
eaten.
Jumbo fresh prawns in a delicious marinade & then grilled on
lemon grass skewers. The heady scent from the lemon grass mingled with
succulent mouthwatering prawns was enough to make a grown woman like
myself weep!
So imagine my delight a decade later when I come across a recipe for these in Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible. Since then these make an appearance again and again when holiday weekends fall upon us & our pocket book so allows.
The Phinisi schooners by the way, are massive wooden ships 131 ft long & 50 ft wide and are traditional vessels of the Bugis people of Sulawesi, still used to deliver 950 tons of cargo at a time to the archipelago.
The history of Sunda Kelapa dates back to 12th century when it was one the major trading routes between Southern India, China and the Middle East. It was such an honor to have been given the chance to work on an Urban rejuvenation project of this area in a joint effort between my Uni & the Indonesian Government.
It was during the weeks that I spent here in the sweltering heat with my colleagues working, that I found a little fish shop in the kampungs that sold the very best Balinese Prawn Satay. The prawns were fresh off the boats and ironically, of all the fancy smanshy meals and pubs we visited I remember this meal the most.
So easy to make, these satays require extra large prawns. So when our local Costco had a Seafood roadshow this weekend and was selling prawns the size of my fist for $8.99/lb, I was swift in getting us some with the intent to make these delectable satays.
The ingredients required are -
Marinade - Soy sauce, juice of 1 lime, coriander powder, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, garlic cloves & fresh ginger root . No salt or pepper is required.
In a small mini-chopper place the ginger root (unpeeled is OK) & peeled garlic cloves. Finely chop.
Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the chopper. Blend for a few seconds until it is well blended. Set aside.
Prawns - Use defrosted (if frozen) extra large (king) prawns. Retain the shell. I always find that it allows for the prawns to be much more succulent during the grilling or broiling process. They are also easy to shell off.
Butterfly the prawns using a sharp non-serrated knife and cutting into the back of the prawn, through the shell. Do not cut all the way through but enough that the prawn halves can be opened up like a butterfly. Continue till all prawns are butterflied. Set aside in a non-metallic dish.
Open up the prawns and pour the marinade over the prawns. Rub the marinade all over and inside the cut prawns so the flavors completely saturate them.
Set the prawns aside to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours.
Lemon grass - About 6 lemon grass stalks are required. Cut off the frayed tops leaving you with 9-11" long lemon grass stalks. Pull the leaves from the root knob until you reach inner strong succulent lemon grass stalks. Use the pulled lemon grass leaves for future dishes.
Set aside the succulent lemon grass stalks for the next step in the process.
Fire up the gas grill or the broiler at this point to pre-heat. If you are using a broiler, place a baking In place a baking stone in the broiler and allow it to also heat up.
Use a metal skewer (or like in my case the tip of a turkey injector, ha ha ) and open up each of the prawns and make 2 starter holes diagonally each other through the under side of the prawn (through the shell)
Skewer a lemongrass stalk through the starter holes applying light pressure to push the stalk through. Repeat the process so you have 2-3 prawns per stalk about 3/4" apart.
Keep going till all the lemon grass skewers and prawns are used up.
At this point it is recommended to use a gas grill & grill the prawns using the 'direct heat method' for about 2-3 minutes on each side till the shells are pink, slightly charred & the meat inside is no longer translucent.
Oil the grate before grilling. Brush the marinade on the prawns before turning over to the other side.
However, you can also use a gas oven broiler like I am. In which case also oil the baking stone. On the sizzling baking stone, place the skewers and broil for 3 minutes on one side.
Brush the marinade on the prawns before turning over to the other side.
Broil on the other side for about 3-5 minutes until shells are pink, slightly charred & the meat inside is no longer translucent. Do not overcook or the prawns will toughen.
The pic on the left show the prawns after 3 minutes and then again after about 5 minutes. Remove to a platter and serve immediately.
The hunt for the perfectly grilled prawns ends here!
The marinade is so delicious that I had to resist the urge of drinking it by the spoonfuls. It permeates into the prawns and lends it an explosion of fresh flavors.
The bouquet from the lemon grass is like a lilting melody. Wonderful refreshing flavors that brought home all the goodness of the season. My kids devoured these at the speed of lightening and needless to say an empty platter was all that was left!
I served these with a side of my favorite refreshing pineapple and cucumber salad. Great for summer or anytime of the year. Post is forthcoming.
Recipe
for
{Satay Udang} Perfection you seek in Balinese Prawn Satays
As adapted from Steven Raichlen's 'Barbecue Bible'.
Preparation
time - 10 minutes
Marinating Time - 1-2 hours or more
Grilling Time - 10 minutes
Serves 4
Shopping list
1-1/2 lb extra large fresh prawns (tiger prawns if available)
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 tbs coriander powder
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tbs vegetable oil
3-4 garlic cloves
1" fresh ginger root
Marinade - Soy sauce, juice of 1 lime, coriander powder, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, garlic cloves & fresh ginger root . No salt or pepper is required.
In a small mini-chopper place the ginger root (unpeeled is OK) & peeled garlic cloves. Finely chop.
Add the remaining
marinade ingredients to the chopper. Blend for a few seconds until it is
well blended. Set aside.
Prawns - Use defrosted (if frozen) extra large (king) prawns. Retain the shell. I always find that it allows for the prawns to be much more succulent during the grilling or broiling process. They are also easy to shell off.
Butterfly the prawns using a sharp non-serrated knife and cutting into the back of the prawn, through the shell. Do not cut all the way through but enough that the prawn halves can be opened up like a butterfly. Continue till all prawns are butterflied. Set aside in a non-metallic dish.
Open up the prawns and pour the marinade over the prawns. Rub the marinade all over and inside the cut prawns so the flavors completely saturate them.
Set the prawns aside to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours.
Lemon grass - About 6 lemon grass stalks are required. Cut off the frayed tops leaving you with 9-11" long lemon grass stalks. Pull the leaves from the root knob until you reach inner strong succulent lemon grass stalks. Use the pulled lemon grass leaves for future dishes.
Set aside the succulent lemon grass stalks for the next step in the process.
Grilling method -
Fire up the gas grill or the broiler at this point to pre-heat. If you are using a broiler, place a baking In place a baking stone in the broiler and allow it to also heat up.
Use a metal skewer (or like in my case the tip of a turkey injector, ha ha ) and open up each of the prawns and make 2 starter holes diagonally each other through the under side of the prawn (through the shell)
Skewer a lemongrass stalk through the starter holes applying light pressure to push the stalk through. Repeat the process so you have 2-3 prawns per stalk about 3/4" apart.
Keep going till all the lemon grass skewers and prawns are used up.
At this point it is recommended to use a gas grill & grill the prawns using the 'direct heat method' for about 2-3 minutes on each side till the shells are pink, slightly charred & the meat inside is no longer translucent.
Oil the grate before grilling. Brush the marinade on the prawns before turning over to the other side.
However, you can also use a gas oven broiler like I am. In which case also oil the baking stone. On the sizzling baking stone, place the skewers and broil for 3 minutes on one side.
Brush the marinade on the prawns before turning over to the other side.
Broil on the other side for about 3-5 minutes until shells are pink, slightly charred & the meat inside is no longer translucent. Do not overcook or the prawns will toughen.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
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