Lemongrass-Garlic Marinated Prawns

12 pieces clean medium prawns

2 lemongrass sticks to skewer the prawns

Sauce of the Prawns

1 tablespoon light Japanese (probably Kikkoman) soya sauce

1 teaspoon sweet mirin wine

1 teaspoon sake wine

½ teaspoon chopped chilies

1 tablespoon hard butter

1 teaspoon corn starch diluted in 2 tablespoons cold water to thicken

About the image above: Lemongrass-garlic prawns ready to serve

Marinade for prawns

1½ tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass, only the white and soft part of the lemongrass

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

¼ teaspoon chopped green chilies

½ tablespoon sake

½ teaspoon sweet mirin wine

salt to taste

½ tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon lime juice

For the marinade: combine the ingredients and keep aside until needed

For the prawns: marinate the prawns in the marinade at least for 5-10 minutes before putting into lemongrass sticks. Slowly skewer the prawns with the lemongrass stick skewers, 2 prawns in each stick. Heat a pan and seared the prawns to make sure the prawns are cooked to both sides.

For the sauce: sauté the ingredients for the sauce and deglaze with the wines. Add in the japans light soya sauce. Bring to the boil; thicken a bit with a teaspoon of corn starch diluted in cold water. Finish the sauce with some hard butter; to make smooth texture of soya butter sauce.

To assemble: serve the stir-fried prawns with some more sauce if needed. Makes 2 servings

About the image above: cropped of the lemongrass-garlic prawns

Helpful Hints: the marinade of the prawns in exotic chopped lemongrass, ginger, chilies and combine with drop of sake rice with, sweet mirin wine, then give a little sourness taste from the fresh lime juice; make the prawns release their aroma while cooking. The lemongrass sticks make the prawns presentation and shape more fresh looks and delightful. Tasty spiced soya butter will make this prawn dish really “exotic”.

Use only fresh prawns, peeled and put into lemongrass skewers before add the marinade into the prawns. Keep in the marinade at least for 5 minutes to make sure the dry sake wine and the sweetness of the sweet mirin wine absorb to the prawns.

You also can replace the prawns with any fresh seafood; lobster, any fishes, cockles, squids, octopus, eels, etc. the best way to cook is either sear, pan-fry or grill to make sure the marinade will not disappear while cooking.