Prawn and fennel salad with lemon and dill dressing
Zingy, fresh-tasting and quick to prepare – what could be a better starter?
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 6
2tbsp olive oil
1kg (2lb 4oz) raw tiger prawns, peeled and cleaned (see tip) but with the tails still intact
1 bunch watercress
100g (4oz) wild rocket
finely grated zest and juice 2 lemons
150ml (¼pt) extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch dill, stripped from stalks, finely chopped
1 large bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
How to prepare prawns:
Peel shell away from body, leaving tail on. Make a shallow cut down the curved back of the prawn. Pull out the black thread with the tip of a knife, rinse and dry.
1 Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the prawns well with salt and freshly ground pepper and cook a few at a time for 1 minute on each side until pink. Once cooked, drain on kitchen paper.
2 Wash the watercress and wild rocket and pat dry with kitchen paper. For the dressing, place the zest and lemon juice in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, whisk in the olive oil and add the dill. Divide the salad leaves among 6 plates, arrange slices of fennel around the leaves, top with the prawns and drizzle over the lemon and dill dressing. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 384cals, 25g fat, 4g saturated fat, 5g carbohydrate, 1g fibre
FOODIE FACT FILE
Prawns are rich in iodine (for a healthy thyroid), zinc (for healthy skin) and selenium, which is good for the immune system.
This recipe appeared in Woman & Home Magazine in April 2004
