ByJohn Cox, chef at
La Bicyclette and Casanova in Carmel
This preparation enables you to eat the entire prawns from head to tail. During the winter months I love the combination of prawns and pumpkin. The creaminess of the pumpkin is a nice contrast to the crisp prawn shells, and both have a subtle sweetness that is offset by the tender young pumpkin leaves.
2 pounds live spot prawns,* cleaned and cut in half
1 small pumpkin cut into 3-by-1/4-inch lengths
1 medium sweet yellow onion cut into wide strips
8 ounces young pumpkin leaves
fine sea salt
10 cups canola oil
Tempura Batter
Pumpkin Seed Aioli
Tempura Batter:
Just prior to using, mix 1 cup of cornstarch with 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Add two eggs and 3 cups of soda water. Whisk gently until almost incorporated, then add 1 cup of ice.
Pumpkin Seed Aioli:
Separate 3 egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon of water and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of pumpkin seed oil and 1 cup of olive oil (or stop adding oil once the aioli is the desired thickness). Season with salt and pepper.
Putting the dish together:
Put the prawns, pumpkin, onion and pumpkin leaves in a mixing bowl. Spoon the tempura on top of the ingredients and then turn to cover all of the items evenly.
Bring the oil to 400 degrees F in a large pot (the oil should only fill pot halfway. If you don’t have a thermometer, simply test a bit of the batter to see if it bubbles violently when added to oil). Add the items a few at a time to the hot oil. Remove when lightly browned and season with the sea salt. Repeat until all items are fried. Serve with the Pumpkin Seed Aioli.
*Shrimp may be substituted for prawns in either recipe. But if you’re considering buying imported shrimp, first read up on widely reported concerns about inspections of imported shrimp. Local is always best.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
