Prawn in a Pastis and onion sauce appetizer - this recipe contributed by Peter
A delightful fully flavoured appertizer that's hard to beat.
Small prawn or shrimp. Prawns can be deheaded but wouldn't worry about peeling or deveining. The skin is generally quite soft when attached to the fish. It only becomes hard and tough if it dries off the carcass. The skin has a huge amount of flavour which imparts well to the sauce and adds to the overall fullness of the flavour and looks attractive in the presentation.
Ingredients:
45 ml (3 tbsp) plain flour
45 ml (3 tbsp) butter
Salt
60 ml (1/4 cup) of milk
Pastis liquor
Prawn or shrimp
1 medium onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves. Smash and chop the garlic.
Ground black pepper
French stick bread loaf cut into thick slices {approx 2 cm (1 inch)}
Prepare a thick béchamel sauce:
In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat.
Blend 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of flour into the melted butter.
Add 1/2 teaspoon (2 1/2 ml) of salt.
Cook the roux over low heat, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes. Cooking for this length of time will minimize 'flour' taste. Take care not to burn.
Slowly add 1 cup (240 ml) of milk, stirring constantly.
Continue cooking slowly until smooth and thickened.
Add a dash of pastis apertiff.
The filling:
In a wok heat a little oil and a small amount of butter. (this combination is like a natural flavour enhancer and alters the boiling temperature of the butter preventing burning)
Add the sliced onions and stir on a medium heat until golden and soft (5 minutes). Add the garlic. Transfer the shrimp/prawns into the wok and stir fry until the fish become opaque and show the classical pink colour. Sprinkle some fresh ground black pepper into the wok. This usually takes only a couple of minutes. (don't over-cook).
Transfer the wok contents into the saucepan of the prepared hot béchamel sauce. Mix well.
Spoon a covering amount of the fish mixture onto the cut slices of bread. Place on a baking tray. Place under the grill or in the broiler of your stove until hot but not necessarily toasted brown. (half a minute or so)
Transfer the rounds onto a serving plate and serve hot.
This can be eaten with fingers or with knife and fork.
