Name: Barbecued prawns with pickled and grilled cucumber
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 Lebanese cucumber, half-peeled, halved lengthways and seeds scooped out with a spoon; Olive oil, for brushing, plus 2 tbsp extra; ½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley; ¼ cup coarsely chopped dill; Pinch of dried mint; 80 gm thick plain yoghurt; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; Juice and finely grated rind of 1 lemon, plus extra wedges (optional) to serve; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; ½ long red chilli, finely chopped; 24 medium uncooked prawns, heads discarded, butterflied; Quick-pickled cucumber; 1 Lebanese cucumber, half-peeled, halved lengthways and seeds scooped out with a spoon, thinly sliced; 90 ml white wine vinegar; 2 tsp caster sugar

Barbecued prawns with pickled and grilled cucumber

Emma Knowles recipe for barbecued prawns with pickled and grilled cucumber.

Serves 6

Prep

20M

Cook

20M

Total

40M

A combination of quick-pickled and char-grilled cucumbers makes the salad accompanying these simply grilled prawns something special. Serve with flatbread warmed on the grill at the same time to make this dish more substantial.

Ingredients

1 Lebanese cucumber, half-peeled, halved lengthways and seeds scooped out with a spoon

Olive oil, for brushing, plus 2 tbsp extra

½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup coarsely chopped dill

Pinch of dried mint

80 gm thick plain yoghurt

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Juice and finely grated rind of 1 lemon, plus extra wedges (optional) to serve

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ long red chilli, finely chopped

24 medium uncooked prawns, heads discarded, butterflied

Quick-pickled cucumber

1 Lebanese cucumber, half-peeled, halved lengthways and seeds scooped out with a spoon, thinly sliced

90 ml white wine vinegar

2 tsp caster sugar

Method

Main

1.For quick-pickled cucumber, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and set aside to pickle (10-15 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, heat a barbecue to high. Brush cucumber lightly with olive oil and grill until lightly charred (1-2 minutes). Set aside to cool, then coarsely chop and transfer to a bowl. Drain pickled cucumber, reserving liquid, add to charred cucumber along with herbs and season to taste. Whisk 2 tbsp pickling liquid in a bowl with yoghurt, extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice, and season to taste. Just before serving, drizzle yoghurt mixture over cucumber, season to taste and toss to lightly coat.

3.Combine extra olive oil, lemon rind, garlic and chilli in a bowl, season to taste, then brush over flesh side of prawns and barbecue until just cooked through (1-2 minutes). Serve straightaway over cucumber salad.