Use whole raw prawns for this dish. On a holiday in Fiji I ate their river prawns which are lovely and sweet and definitely worth seeking out when visiting. Serve this dish on a very hot summer's evening or as part of a long lazy lunch. Have plenty of napkinsand water bowls for messy fingers. The salad uses freshly grated coconut. See here for how to prepare it.
For the prawns
16 whole
Raw prawns, thawed; use up to 20 (Main)
16
Bamboo skewers, use up to 20
1 dash
Chilli oil, for brushing
1
Lime, cut into wedges
For the raw salad
½
Pineapples, fresh, peeled and core removed (Main)
½ small
Pawpaw, seeds removed and peeled
1
Mango, or use half a small honeydew melon, peeled
½ cup
Coconut, Fresh, grated
¼ tsp
Ground cardamom
1
Lime, finely grated zest and juice only
Directions
Thread each prawn on to a skewer. This keeps the prawn straight and helps with even grilling. Brush prawns with chilli oil, place on a tray, cover and keep in the fridge while you make the salad.
Heat a barbecue grill until hot.
Make the salad. Slice the fruit into slices that are manageable to eat with a fork (or cut into 2.5cm dice). Place in a bowl as you go. Add the grated fresh coconut, cardamom and zest and lime juice. Gently mix to combine. Cover and set aside.
Remove the prawns from the fridge and place on the hot barbecue grill. Grill until dark grill lines appear, turning once, and until the prawns turn pink.
If you prefer, remove the shell from the body of the prawns (leave on the head and tail), and cut out the gut tract before grilling. If the skewers are not exposed to the heat you don't need to soak them in cold water for 30 minutes or so.
To make your own chilli oil, finely chop 1 deseeded fresh chilli, place in a small bowl and cover with olive oil.
