Thomasina Miers presents two Spanish-inspired recipes perfect for a summer lunch: grilled prawns with red rice and allioli, followed by boozy baked peaches with amaretti biscuits and cold custard.
Grilled prawns with red rice and allioli
This dish is a showstopper yet straightforward. Preparation takes 10 minutes, cooking 1 hour 10 minutes, and serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients: 400g medium-sized very ripe tomatoes, 1 red chilli, 1 red pepper (stem removed), 100ml olive oil, 4 garlic cloves (2 whole, 2 finely chopped), 400g prawns (deveined, heads and shells on), salt and black pepper, 1 tbsp chipotle en adobo plus 1 heaped tsp, 1 tbsp sherry vinegar plus 1 tsp, 1 large red onion (finely chopped), ½ fennel bulb (finely chopped), 1 large pinch saffron, 400g short-grain rice, 250g good-quality mayonnaise, 180g fresh or frozen peas, chopped chives or parsley to garnish (optional).
Place a frying pan over high heat; add tomatoes, chilli, and red pepper. Dry toast, turning occasionally, for 10-12 minutes until tomatoes and chilli are blackened. Transfer tomatoes and chilli to an upright blender. Continue cooking the pepper over a flame or in the pan until blackened, then place in a bowl, cover with clingfilm, and set aside.
Heat a large paella pan or frying pan (preferably with a lid) over high heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil and the whole garlic cloves; cook for a few minutes until golden around the edges. Add prawns, season generously, and sauté for 4-5 minutes until coloured on all sides.
Make a stock: tear prawn heads from bodies and add to the blender with 1 tablespoon chipotle and 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar. Blitz to a purée, then pour in 500ml boiling water and blend again for 30 seconds. Set prawns and garlic aside.
Pour remaining oil into the large pan; sweat onion and fennel over medium heat for 10 minutes until translucent, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add chopped garlic and saffron; cook for a few minutes, then stir in rice for a few minutes until grains are coated in oil. Pour in tomato and shrimp stock; taste and add more salt if needed. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 18 minutes without stirring.
Meanwhile, peel and deseed the pepper; cut into thin strips. Put a quarter of the strips into the blender with mayonnaise, reserved sautéed garlic, remaining chipotle, and sherry vinegar. Blitz and adjust seasoning.
Tip peas onto the rice; arrange pepper slices in a pattern. Cover and cook for a further 12 minutes on the stove or in a 200°C (180°C fan)/390°F/gas 6 oven for a more golden result. In the last 2-3 minutes, return prawns to the rice with their juices; do not stir.
Serve rice garnished with herbs, allioli on the side, and a crisp green salad.
Baked peaches, amaretti and cold custard
Preparation: 10 minutes, plus overnight chilling; cooking: 1 hour; serves 6.
Ingredients for peaches: 6 large ripe peaches (halved, stones removed), 100ml chardonnay or chenin blanc, 4 tbsp soft brown sugar, ½ tsp green cardamom seeds (finely ground), 6 amaretti biscuits (optional). For custard: 600ml double cream, 1 vanilla pod (halved, seeds scraped) or 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, 60g unrefined caster sugar, 1 tbsp amaretto.
To make custard: put cream, vanilla pod and seeds (or extract) in a saucepan over medium heat until shimmering but not boiling. Remove from heat and infuse. Whisk eggs and yolk with caster sugar until light and fluffy, then whisk in amaretto. Pour infused cream into eggs while whisking, then return to pan over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until 88°C on a thermometer; remove from heat. Pour through a fine sieve into a clean bowl; cool for 10-15 minutes. Blend with a stick blender until smooth; pour into individual glasses or bowls and refrigerate overnight to set.
Next day: heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425°F/gas 7. Arrange peaches cut side up in a roasting tin; pour over wine, sprinkle with sugar and cardamom. Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve peaches with cold custard, extra amaretto poured over, and crumbled biscuits on top if desired.
