Life can get extremely complicated and overwhelming at times and having a luxe meal at home can be a bit daunting to say the least. However, seeking out an amazing product and doing the least to it while enjoying the cooking process, whatever that looks like, will more often than not result in an amazing and luxurious experience without having to leave the country or even your home. I have been fortunate enough to visit Spain on two occasions. The first time, I was a bit too young to understand what value I could acquire from such a trip. I spent most of the time drinking tequila and eating fast food. I could have really used the opportunity to up-level my Espanol, but in that particular trip the extent of my lexicon was “hola, número cuatro con queso y una fanta naranja por favor” and that’s usually after ordering tequila all night because that’s what I thought you drink in a Spanish speaking country.
On my second trip, which was years later, well into my journey with food, I had a chance to explore Spanish cuisine and fell in love with it. Not having had the full immersive experience in that amazing country, the one thing that I did take from it was the foundation of using amazing ingredients and respecting them for the products that they are. I try to practice that daily and while things can get complex in the kitchen, finding time to get back to the basics always helps me slow down. In this video, I am roasting the undisputed king of prawns, the Carabineros!
They get their name from the vibrant, uncooked, red shells that match the color of the Spanish police force. Although hard to come by, my fish guy Greg stocks these and when I spotted them in his freezer I knew it was time to take a trip back to Barcelona, without the flight.
These prawns are best cooked simply on a grill, open fire if available. Here I use our G Salt, to give a barrier between the pan and the prawns Coupled with simple Wah Gwan® butter for dipping and your favorite beverage. For the most authentic experience I’d suggest a wine or beer from the region but I come from the mindset of drink what you want, with what you want. I’m sipping tequila.