A cracking prawn dish that packs a fiery, fruity punch

The first of our guests chefs contributing a week of recipes to Irish Times Food Month is Sabrina Ghayour, whose new cookbook, Simply, is full of great recipes that are quick and easy to prepare. It’s her fifth book, and has loads of interesting options for meals that reflect her Middle Eastern heritage and UK upbringing. Fast, simple and delicious is Ghayour’s message.

I absolutely love prawns and they would most definitely be part of my ideal meal. And the larger they are, the more I love them. The first time I made this recipe I managed to find the most enormous prawns, which made the finished dish utterly spectacular.

But I recommend only using what is easy for you to get hold of, and yes, if you don’t like the shells, you can use peeled prawns, although go for the very best quality you can find.

The sauce is punchy, fiery, fruity and aromatic – everything I love. A little rice on the side or even some bread to mop up the juices would complete the picture.

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Firecracker prawns

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 unwaxed oranges
2-3tbsp olive oil
4 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced
10cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
8 large uncooked prawns in their shells, about 70g each (or use 12 smaller ones)
3tbsp Sriracha sauce
A generous handful of marjoram leaves (or use 1 tablespoon dried marjoram if that's all you can find), plus extra to garnish
25g salted butter
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1 Using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind of the oranges, then slice into thin strips. Squeeze and reserve the juice.

2 Heat your largest frying pan or a wok over a high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, quickly followed by the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for a few seconds without letting them burn.

3 Add the prawns and toss them in the garlic and ginger. When they begin to cook (the cooking time will vary depending on the size of prawns you use, but look for them to turn pinkish white), stir in the orange rind strips, then add the Sriracha and orange juice.

4 Stir until the prawns are well coated in the mixture, then season well with salt and pepper and add the marjoram.

5 Cook the sauce for several minutes, stirring if necessary to avoid the prawns catching, until it is reduced and turns sticky and the prawns are cooked through. Stir in the butter, and once melted, turn the prawns one last time to coat in the sauce before serving immediately, garnished with extra marjoram leaves if liked.

Simply: Easy Everyday Dishes from the bestselling author of Persiana, by Sabrina Ghayour is published by Mitchell Beazley, £26