Shrimp de Jonghe
This casserole is a speciality of Chicago and can be served as a starter or main course. Think, sherry-infused prawns covered with zesty lemon breadcrumbs.
By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the topping
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 60g/2¼oz breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon, zest only
For the shrimps
- ½ bulb garlic
- 50g/1¾oz butter, at room temperature
- chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 100ml/3½fl oz Amontillado sherry
- oil, for frying
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 6–8 very large raw prawns, peeled and butterflied
- pinch cayenne pepper or dried red chilli flakes
- 3 spring onion green tops, chopped, to garnish
Method
To make the topping, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Start by roasting the garlic bulb. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place the garlic bulb half on a sheet of kitchen foil. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and wrap to enclose. Place on a baking tray and roast for 40 minutes or until soft and golden. Cool for 10 minutes, then squeeze the garlic from the skin.
To make the shrimps, mix the roasted garlic with the butter, parsley and some of the sherry in a small bowl and set aside.
Increase the heat of the oven to 220C/200C/Gas 7.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion and thyme until softened. Add the remaining sherry and cook until reduced.
Add the prawns to the pan and cook for two minutes on each side until pink.
Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the parsley and lemon breadcrumbs. Top each prawn with a knob of the garlic butter mixture.
Bake for 10–12 minutes or until the prawns are cooked through and the topping has browned.
Garnish with the chopped spring onions and serve immediately.
