Balsamic prawns with cherry tomatoes and creamy polenta
Quick, colourful and packed with flavour – Anna Haugh’s pronto-prawns would make the perfect midweek dinner.
Ingredients
For the polenta
- 100g/3½oz quick-cook polenta
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú finely grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
- 30g/1oz salted butter
- 100ml/3½fl oz milk, if needed
- sea salt
For the prawns
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 300g/10½oz raw prawns, deveined
- 200g/7oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- pinch chilli flakes
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú spinach
- good-quality extra virgin olive oil, to serve (optional)
Method
Pour 600ml/21fl oz water into a large saucepan and add 1 tsp sea salt. Bring to the boil, then whisk in the polenta – it will cook very quickly, around 3–5 minutes. Beat in the Parmesan and butter, then taste to see if it needs more salt. Keep it warm over a low heat, covering the surface with a sheet of baking paper to prevent a skin from forming. Stir the polenta occasionally while you quickly cook the prawns.
To make the prawns, put a frying pan over a high heat. Once hot, add the oil and garlic, then throw in the prawns, cherry tomatoes, balsamic, sugar and chilli flakes. The prawns will change colour from blue to pink once they’re cooked. This will take 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the spinach, stirring to wilt.
Stir the polenta once more – if it seems dry, add some milk (a little bit at a time) to loosen it up.
Spoon the polenta into the middle of the plates or bowls, creating little wells in the centre of the mounds. Spoon the prawns on top. Finish with some Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.
