I am back from vacation, and what a great week it was. I really got the chance to appreciate some of the fabulous food items that come out of British Columbia. It is with this inspiration that I post tonight’s recipe featuring BC spot prawns, wild and fresh from the waters off of the BC coast. I tried after work to buy them right off the boat but they were sold out by the time I got there (which is good, since I was on a bike and they would’ve been alive, I really didn’t think it through…) so these are yesterday’s catch and they were not capable of swimming at purchase time.
There are a couple of fabulous inspirations and memories I am taking away from this vacation…
My favorite new grape variety is the Ehrenfelser. Never heard of it? Neither had I. It is a medium-sweet white wine that is a cross between a Riesling and a Sylvaner that falls into the late harvest category. This is a great wine for sipping on a summer evening on the deck or enjoying with cheeses or fruit. I can personally recommend the one produced by Summerhill and the one produced by Gray Monk wineries.
The other favorite of this trip was the Carmelis Goat Cheese Farm . Not only did I walk out of there with $45 of cheese I also discovered goat’s milk gelato. Possibly the best thing ever. I am moderately biased because I am lactose intolerant and goat milk products don’t bother me but still. It has less fat then regular gelato, is easier to digest and was possibly the best gelato I have ever had, certainly the best I have had outside of Italy. So good.
For the prawn dish I adapted this recipe from Rob Feenie. Do serve it with the spicy mayo – it is really worth it and it turns an otherwise guilt free dish into something a little bit evil which is always fun. You will also want to sop up the juices with bread, cause they are very yummy. You could make this with any shrimp I would think.
1t butter
1t olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2lb of prawns, shelled and de-veined
1 jalapeño, sliced crosswise
1/2C white wine
1/2 lemon, juiced
2T fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1. Put a medium skillet on medium heat and melt the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and saute until it starts to brown.
2. Add the prawns and saute for 1-2 minutes per side depending on the size of the shrimp.
3. Add the white wine and cook for another minute.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice and parsley. Toss with a few grinds of fresh pepper. Serve right away with lots of fresh bread and the curry mayo.
Curry mayo
Combine approximately 1/2c of mayonnaise to each teaspoon of curry powder. Taste and adjust, more mayo if it is too spicy and more curry if it needs to be spicier!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks beautiful!
Thanks for your description and recommendation of what food to accompany Ehrenfelser wine with (notice i’m accompanying wine with food rather than vice versa – that’s my priorities!). I am new to the grape – I am looking at a bottle of Gray Monk’s 2005 Late Harvest of this wine which was given to me by family visiting from Canada and I’m very much looking forward to finding the right moment to open it.
I like the look of your everything else on your blog and will be visiting again!
Emily, London UK
Oh, you are in for a treat then, how fun. Save it for a hot day!