Preparing a lunch the other day for visiting friends, I was wrapped up in a gluten-free, vegetarian, lactose intolerant, garlic-free menu preparation.  I really don’t mind being given parameters to cook from, as it simply narrows down the field of options.  Which is not a bad thing as it helps me to be creative.

Recently I read an article about Instinctos. I suggest you read up on it rather than me trying to explain it in any detail.  The basic premise is that an Instincto is guided by their sense of smell of raw foods, and when the right smell is found, they eat it.  As I have now found the hardest people to serve food to, I won’t complain again about someone’s life choices when it comes to food.

Here’s a very simple garlic-free recipe for prawns that I came up with for the meal.  The prawns were delicious, and I noticed more than one person sucking the cooked lemon away from the peel.

Click here for printable version.

Serves 8 as a side dish or appetizer

Ingredients

2 T olive oil

1 large yellow onion

2 lemons

½ t dried chilies

½ t salt

24 raw prawns, tail on (21-25 per lb size about a pound or 500 gr)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°

Line a large baking sheet with parchment.

Cut the onions into narrow wedges.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add in the onions and cook for about 2-3 minutes until they start to become translucent.

Add in the chilies and salt.

Cut the lemons in ½“ slices (crosswise, not wedges), then cut each slice into 4 pieces, including the ends.

Add the lemon pieces to the onions in the skillet.

Continue cooking until the lemons start to weep, and start to change colour, 3 – 4 minutes.

Scrape all of the pan mixture onto the parchment.

Put the prawns on top, and gently mix them in, spreading the mixture over the whole of the pan.

Roast for 10 minutes, until the prawns have just become pink and opaque.

Serve immediately with the roasted onions & lemons.

Note: if using frozen prawns, simply put them in a bowl of cold water in the fridge for a few hours to thaw.  Drain & blot dry before proceeding with the recipe.