Fierce Garlic Prawns with Roasted Pepper Aioli

1. Prepare the aioli. In a food processor, combine ⅓ of the minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of the chili paste and the egg yolks. Start the food processor and after a few seconds, very slowly drizzle in all of the olive oil until blended. Add the roasted red pepper and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a non-metal bowl, cover and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of the Asian chili paste, the lemon juice and rice vinegar. Add the prawns and stir to coat with the mixture. Transfer the contents of the bowl into a zippered storage bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Remove the prawns from the marinade and set aside. Add the marinade to the pan and heat until it begins to simmer. Add the prawns and poach for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and then turn the prawns over to finish cooking another 1 minute off the heat.

Serve the prawns alone or on a bed of sesame fire noodles with a dollop of the aioli on top and more on the side for dipping.

Tips and trending:

If you have concerns about using raw egg yolks in the aioli, combine ⅓ of the garlic, the chili paste and the roasted red pepper with 1½ cups of mayonnaise. Keep covered at room temperature while you prepare the prawns.

Poaching shrimp instead of boiling produces much more tender results. Try poaching shrimp this way the next time you prepare some for a salad or shrimp cocktail. Smaller shrimp are easy to overcook, so set a stainless steel bowl in an ice bath, remove the cooked shrimp from the poaching liquid and toss them around in the ice cold bowl to halt the cooking. Then put the shrimp in a zipper storage bag and refrigerate until ready to use.