Non Photography Post

Just a quickie because I really enjoyed my dinner tonight and wanted to log what it was!

You'll want:

• Oil (cooking, not motor or massage);
• Butter (that pasty Euro stuff actually works quite well);
• A large white onion;
• A garlic.  Use as much as you want, especially if you're single;
• Some ginger.  Not of the red-headed stepchild variety;
• Chilli to make it sing;
• Chorizo;
• Prawns.  The larger and fresher the better;
• Vino.  White, obvs.  Chardonnay works well with creamy, spicy seafood dishes like this;
• Rice, cooked.  It's like a risotto, but the quick and lazy way;
• Smoked paprika and turmeric for both colour and flavour;
• Parmesan for seasoning and to give the rice that velvety smooth texture that makes everyone go "Mmmm...!"

Heat some oil and butter in a pan on low-med heat.  I don't do measures, but a good couple of glugs of oil and a thick wedge of butter are about right.

Add a large onion, finely diced and soften in the oil until it starts to go transparent.  You brown it, you bugger it.

Finely chop (or grate) 3 large cloves of garlic and a 1 inch cube of ginger and add to the lightly bubbling pan.

Finely chop some chilli & toss it in.  No measure here, as I used a scotch bonnet because that's all I had.  This would work better with a couple of birdseye chillies, or even a couple of large green jalapeno peppers for the sour element.

Slice up half a ring of chorizo and add to the pan.  You could put this in first and brown it a bit, but all you need is the flavours from the oils to bleed into the dish.

Turn up the heat and add two handfuls of fresh king prawns, peeled.  If you only have cooked prawns, add them later.

Once the prawns have started to colour, pour in a good glug of Chardonnay.  I'd say a small glass, but just pour until it stops searing and starts simmering.  Do this before the onions start browning, even if the pan isn't hot enough and the prawns just went in.

Turn the heat down to a simmer until the alcohol has boiled off and the sauce is velvety & golden.

Add a couple of handfuls of cooked rice, a good pinch of smoked paprika and a good pinch of turmeric.

Bring it back to a simmer and stir until the rice has taken up most of the liquid.

Turn the heat off, then grate in a couple or three tablespoons of parmesan cheese.  Stir it all in and leave to melt into the sauce & rice.

Pour another glass of that Chardonnay, plate up and enjoy.

Big, juicy prawns with garlic, chilli & ginger (always a winning combo) with smoky, meaty chunks of chorizo and a velvety coat of golden rice.  Paradise.

Let me know what you think, if you try it.  Also, let me know if you vary it and how you think that went.