Sassy Mama Cooks! Stir-fried Prawns and Garlic Stems

Made healthy-eating a resolution for 2014? This dish is chock-full of flavour, protein, minerals, fibre, and general goodness. Have it on its own, with a couple of side dishes, or with some lovely steamed rice or stir-fried noodles and you have a delicious and filling meal.

The Chinese way is to cook the prawns in the shell to keep the flavour, so don’t be squeamish! Make it a finger food night, provide lots of bowls of warm lemon water and paper towels and make it fun for your kids!  Show them how to twist the heads off, peel the prawn and suck the juices off and they’ll be far more likely to try it!

I use garlic stems, which are longer, thicker and paler in colour than garlic chives. They have a more delicate flavour but are more robust in texture, minus the flower bud.  They are easy enough to find in your local wet market and usually come in a rubber-band wrapped bundle of probably about 200 grams. Garlic chives also work well for this dish. The prawns were frozen from IKEA, and I used a whole 500 gram bag. You could serve this with rice or pasta for a substantial meal, or on its own if you’re feeling virtuous.

Ingredients

• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 bundle of garlic stems, washed and chopped into 2-inch lengths
• 500 grams of prawns in the shell, washed and rinsed well
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• Oil for frying

1. On a high heat, fry the garlic in a large wok with a little oil until it starts sizzling.

2. Throw in the prawns and garlic stems and toss well, then cover for two-three minutes until the prawns are pink and cooked. Large prawns will need slightly longer, small ones less time.

3. Season, and serve!