Portuguese style Prawns on the Plancha!

What better for lunch on a sizzling summer's day than to sizzle a few prawns on the barbecue or Plancha. Coated in olive oil, put them on the griddle and wait for them to go from grey to pink. Turn once or twice and make sure they are cooked through. (Alternatively, pan fry in the sauce below.)

Magic - grey to pink in minutes!

When cooked, pour over the Portuguese Garlic Butter Sauce:

Gently melt 125g of butter and 2tbsp olive oil with some chopped and crushed cloves of garlic. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a good sprinkling of sea salt, a finely chopped small fresh red chili or a few chili flakes (optional) and pour over the prawns and serve.

It's incredibly simple to prepare and the sauce, mopped up with good crusty bread, make this dish a delicious meal. We are fortunate in Portugal, and on the continent in general, that the price of large/tiger prawns are more affordable than in the UK. Why, I don't know. Can someone tell me?

When we lived on the Normady coast, I could buy good size prawns for a fraction of the price that they were in England. Geographically, there is only a small stretch of water that separates the coasts of England and France. Perhaps it's just a case of what each market will bear! 

Anyway, I devoured mine today at lunchtime with friends and a glass of well chilled 'Planalto' - an excellent and inexpensive wine from the Douro region of Portugal. What better way to chill out on a hot summer's day. Saude!