An Old Favourite Revamped – Prawns/Shrimp on Thai Potatoes

Just recently, while somewhat bed ridden with a stubborn virus (and I don’t do ill), I found myself scrolling and leafing through old recipes that have brought me so much joy over the last 10 years.

A family favourite was the Wild Alaska Salmon On Thai Potatoes from my 1st book ‘Return to Slender’ (no longer available as a hard copy but only as a downloadable pdf or e- book – see here and here if you’re interested). It’s a recipe that literally sings with the fresh flavours of Thai seasonings and very, very simple to make with a few spoonfuls of Thai red curry paste.

I thought it might work well with prawns/shrimp too so gave it a whirl. It’s fantastic and, of course, rings the changes when salmon becomes a bit samey. The recipe and timings have changed a bit so here it is below with also the new nutritional stats – where fats and calories are reduced but protein still stays high.

PRAWNS/SHRIMP WITH THAI POTATOES

Ingredients

METRIC/US

400 ml/14 oz can reduced-fat or light coconut milk

300 ml/1¼ cups fish or vegetable stock/bouillon

4 tsp red Thai curry paste (I used Barts)

1½ tsp ginger paste

¾ tsp ground turmeric

¾ tsp chopped red chilli (I used Lazy chilli)

1 bunch spring onions/scallions, about 6, chopped

675 g/1½ lb new or waxy potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small bite-sized chunks

salt and freshly ground black pepper

500 g/1 lb large shelled raw or cooked king-size prawns/shrimp

coriander/cilantro or flat leaf parsley sprigs to garnish (optional)

Method

Put the coconut milk, stock/bouillon, curry paste, ginger paste, turmeric, chilli and spring onions/scallions in a large, shallow pan or wok (with a lid). Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and add the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the potatoes gently, without covering, for about 25-30 minutes or until just tender, stirring occasionally.
Carefully add the prawns or shrimp, tucking them into the potato mixture and spoon some of the liquid over them. Cover and simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or until the prawns/shrimp are cooked or reheated. Purée a portion in a blender if serving as a soft food option (for the Amber stage of eating) at this point if required.
Serve in shallow bowls, topped with some fresh coriander/cilantro or flat leaf parsley if liked.

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: ¹/³ – ½

CALORIES PER PORTION: 301

PROTEIN: 23.5 g

CARBOHYDRATE: 33.4 g

FAT: 8.7 g