Harissa Prawn Skewers with Fattoush

• 400 graw king prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbspharissa paste
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 30 mllemon juice
• 2pitta breads, about 60 g each, torn into chunks
• 2large tomatoes, diced
• ½cucumber, diced
• ½red onion, thinly sliced
• 15 gmint leaves, torn
• 15 gflat-leaf parsley leaves, torn
• 3 tbspextra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsppomegranate molasses
• ½ tspsumac
• Fine salt, to taste
• ½lemon, cut into serving wedges
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1Use metal skewers, or soak wooden skewers according to their packet while preparing the ingredients. Pat the prawns dry.
2. 2Toss the prawns with the harissa paste, olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper until every prawn is slicked red, then thread onto the skewers, leaving a little space between each so the heat can get round them; crowd the skewer and they'll steam instead of char.
3. 3Tear the pitta into rough, bite-sized chunks and toast under a hot grill or in a dry frying pan, turning once or twice, until deeply golden and shatter-crisp; 3 to 4 minutes. You want them properly dry; soft pitta turns to mush in the dressing. Set aside.
4. 4Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and ¼ tsp sumac in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste it on the tip of a spoon; it should be sharp, sweet and faintly tannic.
5. 5Tip the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mint and parsley into a large bowl. Add the crisp pitta and pour over about two-thirds of the dressing, tossing so the bread drinks up the tomato juices and dressing but still holds its crunch. Leave it to sit for a minute while you cook the prawns.
6. 6Heat a griddle pan or heavy frying pan over high heat until you can feel the heat rising off it and a flick of water hisses and vanishes; a cool pan won't give you the char that makes this dish. Lay the skewers down in a single layer, don't crowd them, and grill for 2 minutes per side until the prawns are pink, opaque through and have dark-edged grill marks. Overcooked prawns turn rubbery in seconds, so pull them the moment they curl tight and the flesh turns from grey to white.
7. 7Taste the fattoush and adjust the seasoning if needed.
8. 8Divide the fattoush between two plates and add the cooked prawn skewers. Spoon over the remaining dressing, sprinkle with the remaining ¼ tsp sumac and add the lemon wedges.

Per serving

kcal

702

protein

54.3g

fibre

6.2g

carbs

55.1g

fat

30.4g