Garlic Butter Prawn Orzo with Parmesan and Lemon
By Felix Grant
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Raw, shelled king prawns are my favorite food in this recipe because they are large in size and easy to see among the orzo․ King prawns cook quickly in a pan without being lost among the pasta․ King prawns will be pink after two minutes of cooking and then reheated with orzo and sauce and grated parmesan․
I use kitchen paper to dry the prawns and sprinkle them with oil, salt, and pepper․ I cook the prawns in two batches in a large frying pan․ Cooking in two batches ensures that the prawns have room to cook in the pan․ I use tongs to flip the prawns in the pan to cook them on both sides before taking them out of the pan․
When garlic sautés for about 30 seconds without browning, orzo is stir-fried with the first addition of broth․ Use a wooden spoon to scrape the pan before adding orzo․ During cooking, starches will be released from the orzo, adding body to the sauce․ Add more broth to the pan in stages or as needed to avoid letting the pan dry out․
The butter, parsley, and grated Parmesan ingredients are mixed with cooked shrimp and liquid from the pan․ Additional lemon wedges and parsley and Parmesan cheese, if available, are provided on the side with the shrimp․ Lemon juice complements the butter and stock in the shrimp dish․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Large king prawns are less likely to fall to the bottom of the pan and cook with the orzo․
- Four cloves of garlic provide a garlic taste in this recipe․ You can use as many as six cloves of garlic for a stronger garlic taste․
- The orzo is cooked in chicken broth and flavored with garlic butter from the same pan․
- Adding grated parmesan cheese toward the end allows the cheese to melt and coat the orzo with sauce․
- A quartered lemon adds acid to individual servings in each bowl․
- The first batch of prawns fries and leaves browned bits in the pan․ These browned bits are absorbed by the butter as it cooks․
Ingredients
- •500 g raw peeled king prawns (1 lb)
- •2 tbsp olive oil
- •½ tsp salt
- •¼ tsp black pepper
- •4 tbsp unsalted butter (60g)
- •4 cloves garlic (finely diced)
- •400 g uncooked orzo (2 cups)
- •1 litre chicken stock (1 to 1.125 litres / 4 to 4.5 cups, plus more as needed)
- •3 tbsp fresh parsley (finely diced, plus more to serve if desired)
- •20 g parmesan (1/4 cup, freshly grated, plus more to serve if desired)
- •1 lemon (quartered, to serve)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the prawns dry, then combine them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and black pepper.
- 2
Heat a large deep pan over high heat. Add half the prawns, spread them out, and fry for 1 minute. Turn them with tongs and fry for a further 1 minute, then remove them. Repeat with the second batch, taking care not to let them curl into a tight O shape.
- 3
Lower the heat to medium and melt 3 tbsp of the butter, saving the final tbsp for later. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds or so, just before it starts to brown. Stir in the orzo, pour in 1 litre / 4 cups of the stock, stir well, and bring it to a simmer. Lower the heat slightly and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente and the sauce has thickened to a risotto-style consistency. If the sauce dries before the orzo is cooked, stir in more stock a splash at a time. Use boiling water if you run out of stock.
- 4
Stir in the parsley, parmesan, cooked prawns and any resting juices. Stir in the final tbsp of butter until it blends through the orzo, then check the seasoning and adjust if needed.
- 5
Serve individual portions with more parsley and parmesan if desired, alongside a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
649
Protein
28.99g
Fat
23.25g
Carbs
82.56g
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