Recipe: LaSalette Restaurant Mozambique Prawns

MOZAMBIQUE PRAWNS
Source: Chef Manuel Azevedo, LaSalette Restaurant, Sonoma, CA
Servings: 6

This traditional dish from Mozambique, one of Portugal's former colonies, is the most requested item at LaSalette Restaurant. To mimic the heat of piri-piri, fiery hot peppers from Angola (another former colony), Chef Azevedo seasons the prawns with his own hot spice blend before grilling.

SAUCE:
Shells from 2 pounds medium prawns (reserve prawns)
2 cups tomato juice
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon peanut butter
hot-spice blend, to taste
COCONUT RICE:
2 cups long grain rice
1 cup coconut milk
3 cup water
PLANTAINS:
2 plantains, sliced thin on a diagonal
Salt and white pepper to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
GARNISH:
Chopped cilantro
Roasted peanuts

TO PREPARE THE SAUCE:
Shell the prawns, placing the shells in a medium saucepan; set aside the prawns (over ice or in the refrigerator).

To the prawn shells in the saucepan add the tomato juice, coconut milk and peanut butter. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Season with some hot spice blend to taste. Bring the mixture back to a boil and then pass it through a sieve; discard the shells.

TO PREPARE THE COCONUT RICE:
In a large 2-quart saucepan, bring the rice, coconut milk and water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Take an occasional peek to make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan.

TO PREPARE THE PLANTAINS:
Season the plantains with salt and white pepper. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute the plantains on both sides until brown and soft, about 3 to 4 minutes.

TO PREPARE THE PRAWNS:
Season the prawns with some hot spice blend and cook them on an oiled grill or grill pan until heated through, about 7 to 10 minutes.

TO SERVE:
Mound the rice in the middle of six warm plates and ladle the sauce around. Lay the shrimp against the rice mounds, place a plantain in between each shrimp and garnish with the peanuts and cilantro.