Italian Prawn Stir-Fry with Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Ingredients

• 600g raw tiger prawns, peeled and deveined, fresh or frozen and fully thawed; tails on or off
• 2 zucchini, sliced into half-moons about 5mm thick
• 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 long red chili, finely sliced; remove seeds for less heat
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• a large handful fresh basil, leaves picked; add at the end
• to taste fine sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Pat the prawns dry with paper towel and season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat 30ml of the olive oil in a large heavy skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the zucchini and bell pepper in a single layer. Stir-fry without moving for 1 minute, then toss and cook for another 2 minutes until lightly charred at the edges but still with some bite. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 30ml of olive oil to the pan. Add the garlic and chili and stir constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant and just golden. Do not let the garlic burn.
4. Increase the heat to high and add the prawns in a single layer. Cook for 90 seconds without moving, then flip each prawn and cook for a further 60 to 90 seconds until pink and just cooked through. Remove from the pan immediately onto the plate with the vegetables.
5. Add the cherry tomatoes to the same hot pan. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until they begin to blister and release their juices. Return the vegetables and prawns to the pan. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and toss everything together for 30 seconds over high heat.
6. Remove from the heat. Scatter over the fresh basil leaves and toss gently. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon. Serve immediately as is, or over cooked farro, white rice, or crusty sourdough.

Batch cooking tip

• For batch cooking, stir-fry the vegetables and aromatics ahead of time and store them separately in the fridge. Cook the prawns fresh at serving time as they only take 3 minutes and decline in texture when reheated. Reheat the vegetables in the pan while the prawns cook, then combine at the end.