Bajan prawn tacos recipe

Grapefruit with seafood is not a totally radical combination. While researching these recipes, I learnt that it’s something that we’ve been seeing since the 70s. Prawn and grapefruit is as retro as you could hope for. The irony of this is that while in Los Angeles recently, the home of setting food trends, this combo was in many a dish. The best way I had them was with plump raw prawns, quick marinated in all the great things for prawns; garlic, chilli, cumin, coriander and paprika, then charred and served with a whole bunch of fantastic and fresh usual suspects for the perfect taco, but with pink Florida grapefruit being the hero in this Bajan prawn tacos recipe.

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the prawns:

12 big, fat raw tiger prawns, peeled and slit deeply down the back almost to butterfly them, intestine removed.

1tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, grated finely

1 red chilli, chopped

½tsp salt

½tsp ground cumin

½tsp ground coriander

½tsp smoked paprika

For the tacos:

4 corn tortillas

½ Little Gem lettuce, thinly shredded

6 radishes, thinly sliced

1 Florida pink grapefruit, segmented and cut into small pieces

1 avocado, peeled seeded and finely chopped

100g tinned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 lime juice

Sea salt

40g feta cheese

A good handful of fresh coriander, leaves picked

Hot sauce and soured cream to serve

Method

First start by making the marinade for the prawns. Place the prawns in a bowl and mix together with the oil, garlic, chilli, (I like to keep the seeds in), salt and spices. Cover, and leave to marinate in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients.

Next make the salad. Mix the shredded lettuce, radishes, Florida grapefruit, beans, lime juice and salt in a bowl.

Fry the prawns in a little more oil on a medium to high heat, until cooked through, (this should take about five minutes, you’ll know they’re cooked when they change from grey and translucent to white and opaque). While you are doing this you can heat the tortillas in the dry pan, for about 20 seconds each side until warmed through.

Now you’re ready to construct your tacos! First layer a spoonful of salad onto the tacos, followed by the prawns. It’s up to you, but I find the tacos easier to eat if you cut the prawns into thirds. Follow with a dollop of sour cream, a nice scattering of coriander and finally crumble on a little of the feta. I think hot sauce is also a must, followed by a little extra squeeze of lime at the end. Now try and eat without making a massive mess, but that’s part of the fun. And have napkins on hand!