Gochujang Butter Prawns with Jasmine Rice & Edamame

Ingredients

• 400g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp gochujang paste
• 25g butter
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 15g fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (light)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 x 250g pre-cooked jasmine rice pouches
• 150g frozen edamame, defrosted
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Pickled cucumber, to serve

Method

1. Stir the gochujang, soy sauce and honey together in a small bowl until smooth and glossy. Set it within arm's reach of the hob — once the prawns hit the pan, you won't have time to fetch it.
2. Pat the prawns thoroughly dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. Wet prawns steam instead of sear, and you want a proper kiss of colour on them.
3. Melt the butter in a large stainless or cast iron pan over a high heat. Once it's foaming and smelling nutty, add the sliced garlic and grated ginger. Fry for 30 seconds, just until fragrant and pale gold — don't let the garlic burn or the whole pan turns bitter.
4. Lay the prawns into the pan in a single layer. Work in two batches if your pan looks crowded — all at once and water comes out, and you've poached them instead of searing them. Cook for 1–2 minutes each side until they curl into commas and turn pink and opaque, then lift them out onto a plate.
5. Splash the gochujang mixture straight into the hot pan and swirl for 20–30 seconds, scraping up any sticky bits — this turns the glaze into a proper pan sauce rather than a paste. Slide the prawns back in and toss for a minute until each one is lacquered and clinging with sauce.
6. Pull off the heat, drizzle in the sesame oil, and squeeze in the juice of one lime wedge. Taste — most of the salt comes from the soy and gochujang, but a final pinch and the lime juice tie it together. Adjust now, not at the table.
7. Heat the jasmine rice pouches according to the packet, then tip the rice into a warm bowl and stir the defrosted edamame through for 1–2 minutes until the beans are warmed through and bright green. Season with a pinch of salt.
8. Spoon the rice and edamame into shallow bowls, pile the sticky prawns on top and pour over every drop of sauce from the pan. Scatter generously with the sliced spring onions and chopped coriander, and tuck the remaining lime wedges in alongside for squeezing at the table.