Beer-marinated prawns with crisp asparagus spears

SERVES 4 AS A STARTER

These are perfect for finger-food as you can hold them and eat them with one hand while you hold your beer or chardonnay in the other. The prawns are sweet, nutty and meaty while the asparagus is still slightly crisp and also sweet — delicious!

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) large prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined, leaving the tails intact

5 large garlic cloves, mashed with 1 teaspoon of salt

fresh asparagus spears, trimmed, 2 per prawn

MARINADE

3 tablespoons olive oil

170 ml (5½ fl oz/²/₃ cup) beer (a good hoppy pale ale)

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped

2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted wthen crushed

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted then crushed

1 handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves,

1 red chilli, thinly sliced

soy sauce, to taste

Rub the prawns with the garlic and salt mixture and let stand, covered, for 1–2 hours.

For the marinade: Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the prawns to the marinade, coat thoroughly and marinate in the fridge for several hours.

Spear the prawns with a knife so as to make a hole between the tail end and the head end, taking care not to slice open the prawn. Weave the spears of asparagus through the first hole and then continue to thread the asparagus through the hole. Return the now-skewered prawn to the marinade until all the prawns are likewise skewered and ready to be cooked.

Chargrill the prawns on the barbecue — put some olive oil on a preheated hotplate and throw all the prawns on the barbie. Cook until coloured and crispy on one side and then turn and cook the other side. When cooked pile them up on a plate and hand them out.

I love marinating in beer as it adds great flavour as well as helping to tenderise meat. There are two rules — don’t use light beer and only use beer you love to drink.