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Spot Prawn Sesame Salad





Yields
Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 3 or 4 as a main course



Total Time
30 mins

Chef Robert Clark, co-owner of a sustainable seafood market in Vancouver called The Fish Counter, gave us this recipe. Named for the white dots on their shells, spot prawns are sweeter and more delicate than other varieties. "You won't need to mask their flavor with cocktail sauce," says Clark. They're sometimes available fresh and live in season (late spring through summer), but frozen headless ones are easier to find.

su-Spot Prawn Sesame Salad




Photo: Thomas J. Story
 1 pound raw medium spot prawn tails* (25 to 30 per lb.) or 1 lb. sustainably farmed raw medium shrimp
  About 2 tsp. fine sea salt
 1/3 cup mayonnaise, store-bought or homemade
  About 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
 5 or 6 medium radishes, thinly sliced
 3 cups loosely packed baby arugula
 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
 1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
Step 1
1

Bring a kettle or medium pot of water to a boil. Arrange prawns in a shallow baking dish in a single layer and sprinkle with 2 tsp. salt. Cover with boiling water, stir once with a spoon, and poach until just barely opaque, 30 to 45 seconds, depending on size (spot prawns cook very quickly). If using shrimp, let sit until pink and just opaque, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Transfer to ice water to cool, then drain. Continue with recipe; or to make ahead, chill up to 8 hours. One hour or less before serving, peel prawns, and devein if you like.

Step 2
2

Whisk mayonnaise with 1 tbsp. oil in a small bowl and set aside.

Step 3
3

Combine cucumber, radishes, arugula, and vinegar in a large bowl; toss to coat. Drain excess vinegar, add prawns and a pinch or two of salt to taste, and toss gently. Serve immediately. "Otherwise, the vinegar will break down the texture of the prawns and they'll get rubbery," says Clark.

Step 4
4

Divide salad among plates and spoon a dollop of mayonnaise next to each salad. Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds and a few drops of oil.

Step 5
5

*Most spot prawns are frozen at sea, sold as tails only, and are high quality (a few markets sell live prawns also). Even frozen, spot prawns can be hard to find inland, but can be ordered in season from vitalchoice.com and marxfoods.com. Defrost in the refrigerator, set in a colander over a bowl, up to 2 days before using.

Step 6
6

Note: Nutritional analysis is per first-course serving.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 0

Amount Per Serving
Calories 114Calories from Fat 46
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5.9g10%

Saturated Fat 0.9g5%
Cholesterol 87mg29%
Sodium 319mg14%
Total Carbohydrate 5.6g2%

Dietary Fiber 0.3g2%
Protein 9.6g20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.