Shrimp or prawns? For this Avocado Ritz you can use both!

There is major confusion about the difference between shrimp and prawns. Fact is, it is really not the same thing, however confusion arises when we hear Americans refer to prawns as "shrimp".Physically they look very similar but there is one sure way to tell them apart.(see picture below)

On a culinary level, many people distinguish between shrimp and prawns on the basis of size. ?Prawns? are considered to be larger, while shrimp are smaller. There is a little more to it than just this..... 



Shrimp and prawns are in different suborders, indicating key biological differences between the two. Prawns are in the suborder Dendobranchiata, while shrimp are classified as Pleocyemata.You can read more about the differences here, but here in South Africa  the prawns that you may find at the fishmonger include tiger, deep water, bay, and king prawns.  

Most of the farmed prawns on the market originate from South-east Asia, while wild-caught prawns may come from a number of countries including Mozambique, Madagascar as well as India. Prawns are on the Orange list of  WWF SASSI list.

This is starting to sound like a biology lesson so let's talk about food, ok with you? Prawns are relatively cheap these days, I remember a few years back, prawns were considered to be a luxury item on grocery lists, but these days you can get  about 2 kg (about 4 pounds) for just over R100. I know it is not the biggest prawns, but a little goes a long way and I find that it can change a dish from ordinary to something really special and festive. So next time when you visit your fishmonger, grab a box, pop it in the freezer and you can  add a few to your favorite paella, soups, salads and pasta recipes.

Last week I was approached by two ladies asking if will I be willing to teach them how to cook fish, Apparently their husbands like fish and they cannot cook it properly. Honestly, I think fish is the easiest thing to cook, but most people make one fatal mistake and that  is to fiddle too much with the fish and to overcook it. I have learned through experience, that the less is more when it comes to fish.



Whenever I visit my fishmonger and they have fresh hake, I always get some. Fresh, flaky fillets of hake pan fried to perfection and served with only lemon and butter is hard to beat.   Well at least that is what I thought. I topped the fish with a rather deconstructed Avocado Ritz and  this ordinary meal changed into something really, really special. 





Pan Fried Hake with Avocado Ritz 

serves 4 people



Ingredients 



4 fillets of fresh hake or any other line fish available

juice and zest of 1 lemon

100gr melted butter

salt/pepper

2 ripe avocados 

12-16 prawns  - depending on their size

½ cup good quality mayonnaise 

2 tbsp cream

1½ tbsp tomato sauce

1 tbsp brandy

a pinch of cayenne pepper



Method



Fish - For the fish you have two options. You can pan fry it in a little butter or sometimes I  place it under the grill in the oven and baste it with lemon juice and butter until it is cooked. You choose the method that works for you. Just remember when you pan fry fish, you always start with skin side down.





Prawns - Here you also have two options. One is to pan fry them in a little butter until they are completely pink. I cook my prawns in a little water with lemon juice. I mean really a little water, so that they almost steam. When they are completely pink, they are cooked and ready for use!



Pink Sauce - Mix the mayonnaise, cream, tomato sauce, brandy and cayenne pepper  and keep until needed.



Avocado - Peel the avocado, cut in a fan like style and drizzle with lemon juice.





Now when all your ingredients are cooked and prepared, just assemble individual portions on your most beautiful plates.