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Salt-Roasted Prawns with Cilantro-Lime Aioli

Wine Pairing: Rex Goliath Chardonnay

Ingredients

• Cilantro-Lime Aioli

  • 1 whole egg plus one egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or mashed with a pinch of coarse salt in a mortar and pestle)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• Shrimp

  • 3 cups rock salt (can substitute kosher salt)
  • 1 pound medium prawns or shrimp in their shells, deveined with shell intact

Directions

Cilantro-Lime Aloli: In a blender, put the eggs, mustard, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Blend until thick (about 15-20 seconds). In a liquid measuring cup, combine the olive and canola oils. While blending, slowly add the oil to the blender. Continue to do this in a slow, steady stream until all of the oil has been added. Do not add the oil too quickly and be sure that the emulsion is stable (has absorbed the oil) before adding more oil. Transfer to a small bowl. Season with garlic, lime juice, cilantro and salt. If the mixture becomes too thick, add 2 or 3 tablespoons warm water to the aioli, whisking constantly, to thin the mayonnaise and make a fluid sauce. Use the mayonnaise the day it is made. Transfer to a small glass bowl and garnish with cilantro. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Shrimp: Preheat oven to 550°F. Spread salt over the bottom of a 10-inch gratin dish or other shallow ovenproof dish. The salt should be about 1/4 inch thick. Place unpeeled prawns (but deveined) in a single layer, on their sides, directly over the salt, pushing them down slightly to partially bury them in the salt. Roast until the prawns are pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove baking dish from the oven. Leave the prawns in the baking dish. Place the aioli in a small bowl and nestle it into the center of the baking dish with the prawns and salt around it.

Serves 24