Baked Prawns with Panko/Asiago Topping

Momma T, that was a great introductory post! Now let's jump right in.

I love food. All kinds. My motto is that I will try (almost) anything at least once, and have been an adventurous eater my entire life.

One of my recent favorite finds has been Panko Japanese Breadcrumbs, and you can find them in most grocery stores. I use them in pan-frying, deep-frying and baking, and I will post a few recipes that I have come up with where they add a certain depth to the dish. The first is pictured at the top right.

There is also a special ingredient in the topping that really takes it up a notch--grated Asiago cheese, which is a hard cheese (like parmesan) from Spain.

Baked Prawns with Panko/Asiago Topping, served over Garden-Fresh Sauteed Spinach and Saffroned Rice and Carrots

For the Saffroned Rice and Carrots you will need:

--one saute pan (6-8")

--one sauce pan (3-4 quart) with cover

--1 cup short grain rice (you may use medium or long grain, but I like the starchy, creamy texture of the short grain)

--1 tsp. salt

--1/2 tsp. black pepper

--4-5 leaves of fresh sweet basil-chopped

--a few strands of saffron (use more or less depending on how yellow and saffron-y you want it)

--1 cup stock or broth (you may use vegetable, fish, or chicken which you can make yourself or buy at the grocery store; Swanson's makes good broth and stock without too much sodium)

--1 cup white wine; preferably the same wine you will pair with the finished dish. Cooking wine adds too much sodium, and a flat flavor in my opinion. Cook with the wine you want to drink.

--3/4 cup of baby carrots cut into chunks

--1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

--1 tbsp brown sugar

Combine the water, wine and stock and add the saffron strands, salt and pepper to the cold liquid in a covered 4 quart saucepan. Let it come to a boil. Add the rice and stir so it doesn't stick together. Turn the heat down, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally until the liquid is absorbed, but the rice is still creamy. This will take about 20 minutes, give or take a couple.

While the rice is cooking, you will saute the carrots. Put a saute pan on medium high, add oil and let heat until fragrant. Add carrots and brown sugar, and let this mixture cook, stirring/flipping the carrots frequently to coat and cook evenly, being careful not to let the glaze burn.

Add the basil and finished carrots to the rice and fold in when the rice is about 3/4 through cooking. Remove from heat and let stand while preparing the rest of the meal.

For the Prawns:

--Large Saute Pan

--Baking dish (1 large, or 2-3 individual) Shrimp should be crowded, but single layer when placed in the dish

--1 pound of jumbo Atlantic Shrimp (11-16)

--2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

--2 tbsp. salted Butter

--1 clove finely minced garlic

--1/4cup extra virgin olive oil

--1/4 cup salted Butter

--Salt and Pepper to taste

--4-5 fresh Tarragon Leaves, finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon-careful-it's potent)

--4-5 fresh Sweet Basil Leaves, finely chopped

--1 clove finely minced garlic

Topping:

--1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

--1/2 cup Asiago cheese, finely grated

--1 tbsp. butter

In a small bowl, combine panko and grated asiago.

Melt 1 tbsp. butter on stove, add to panko/asiago and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make sure the shelf is in the middle position.

Put 1/4 cup oil, 1 clove minced garlic and 1/4 cup butter in the baking dish, and put dish in the oven until butter is melted and oil is fragrant (very warm, not too hot)

Heat 2 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp. butter in the large saute pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot, but before the butter burns, add the shrimp and 1 clove garlic and sear quickly, about 1 minute per side, but don't cook all the way through. Take the shrimp off the stove and place in the baking dish with the warm oil and butter. Top with the panko mixture, place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked. Be careful of overcooking--shrimp should be just curling and opaque, not solid-looking or tightly curled. If the shrimp look like they are cooking but the topping is still not golden, you may finish under the broiler, but watch it carefully! It can burn in an instant.

Sauteed Spinach (kale would work really well, here, too):

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. kosher or sea salt

1 clove finely minced garlic

1 tsp. dried red chili flakes (optional, if you like some heat)

10-12 ounces of fresh spinach leaves

4 lemon wedges to garnish

Heat 1 tbsp. EVOO, the salt and the chili flakes in the same saucepan you cooked the shrimp in on medium high until very fragrant. Add all the spinach--it will look like too much, but it cooks down more than you can imagine. Cook just until the spinach is wilted. If you overcook, it gets a fuzzy aftertaste.

Plate the rice/carrots first, then top that with the spinach, and then place the shrimp on top of the spinach, and drizzle the oil/butter/garlic from the bottom of the baking dish over and squeeze the lemon on top.

I usually bake a crusty sourdough french bread to go with this, and pair it with a good Pinot Grigio or a Riesling if you like a more fruity wine.

Enjoy!