Prawns..... Bacardi 151.... Garlic...... Brain ticked on a while longer and spotted Thai Basil. Soon after fresh ginger, parsley and some fresh pappardelle pasta hit the tills. Home with my spoils I started to plot.
A really sharp knife to chop the Thai basil (reduces the bruising) and the parsley. Edge of same knife to crush three or four cloves of garlic. A grater to reduce an inch of that ginger....... Dig in the fridge for some spring onions. Off to the fruit bowl for a lemon to zest and into the dark cupboard for a knob of coconut cream to tie the dish together. one thing missing, the Bacardi 151. Flame retardant lid for a reason, you can use less kicking rum but the flames will be a little bit less ready to flare (or to warm the chef up. Well you need to check it hasn't gone off).
I put a large pan of water on the heat ready for the pasta and got ready for a four minute cooking sprint to produce supper. Wok on the heat I waited for that nice stage when the pan of water forms small, pearl sized bubbles that form on the bottom of the pan. When they rise readily I know the pan is a minute or so off the boil so the spring onions hit the teaspoon or so of groundnut oil and a tablespoon of olive oil. a quick stir and the garlic and ginger go in.
The wok is hot enough to burn them so keep them moving and add the prawns (and the pasta to the now boiling water). 4 minutes to go (Mr Bannister, on your marks, set, go). They soon take on a slight blush.
Now add the Thai basil .
A glass of rum and about 1/2 the parsley (the rest is for garnish). Stand back and flame the rum to develop the sun burnt pink of the prawns.
Trust me, the flames were high. The better sighted among you will see the orange flame wisps in the photo above. The transformation...
Pasta into a readied sieve. Time to plate up, open the wine and look forwards to the weekend. Dreams of balmy breezes and warm sunshine (OK the reality is an amber weather warning for storm force or greater winds)
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