Beer marinated prawns with asparagus spears

Actor-turned-cookbook author Paul Mercurio (yes, THAT Paul from beloved Aussie classic film Strictly Ballroom) brings some drama to the grill with these beer-marinated prawns on edible skewers, for a one-handed party snack that is guaranteed to sizzle.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

series • 

cooking

PG

series • 

cooking

PG

Ingredients

• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 kg large raw prawns, peeled, deveined
• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
• ¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice
• ⅔ cup beer (see Note)
• 2 tsp toasted coriander seeds, crushed
• 2 tsp toasted cumin seeds, crushed
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve
• 2 -3 birds eye chillies, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp soy sauce, to taste
• ½ cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
• Asparagus spears, one per prawn

Marinating time: 2 hours

Instructions

1. Roughly chop the garlic, then sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Use the flat side of your knife to crush and mash the garlic and salt to a paste-like consistency. You can also use a mortar and pestle to achieve this. Combine the garlic salt paste and prawns in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove from the fridge, then add the remaining ingredients (except the asparagus). Mix well to coat, then refrigerate for a further hour.
2. Trim the asparagus spears of their wooden stems, then use a sharp knife to cut the ends of the bases of the asparagus to a sharp angle, then set aside until required.
3. Remove the prawns from the fridge. Hold one prawn in a ‘U’ shape, then use a small knife to make two incisions in the prawn, one near the tail, one near the head (taking care not to slice all the way through). Thread the prawn onto the asparagus spear through both holes so the prawn sits securely in the centre. Repeat with the remaining prawns and asparagus spears, reserving any prawn marinade for later.
4. Heat a barbecue or chargrill pan, then grill the marinated prawns and asparagus spears, basting with the reserved marinade as they cook. Once cooked through, remove to a large serving plate, sprinkle with extra coriander leaves and spring onion and serve.

Note 

For the marinade, choose a hop-forward American pale ale with fruity character, such as Stone and Wood pacific ale, Mornington pale ale or Hargreaves Hill pale. Alternatively, a Hefeweizen will add subtle notes of cloves, while a Belgian Witbier offers notes of coriander and orange for a more aromatic twist.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

Want more from The Cook Up? Stream all the seasons for free at SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

series • 

cooking

PG

series • 

cooking

PG