Firstly, I’d like to offer my apologies for the lack of recent posts. My absence was due to a lovely, yet short, holiday in Sussex, where we stayed in an absolutely delightful shepherd’s hut at Hawthbush Farm, an organic working farm with added ‘glamping’.
We stayed in a little hut made for two named ‘Aggie’, who was tucked away in her own peaceful and secluded field. She came fitted with a wood burning stove and a very comfy bed featuring a wool duvet; these are absolutely brilliant and now on my ‘want’ list. She also had a little field kitchen to one side, which, of course, became my home for the week. And I did spend quite a lot the week in the kitchen, as our morning routine of porridge and coffee for two, made on a single camping stove with little shelter from 20mph winds can take a frustratingly long time. However, the creative application of a metal bin lid and some saucepans helped in that respect, making it possible to actually boil water.
Anyway, the food. Whilst stuffing the cool box before departure, I threw in a bag of pineapple left over from breakfast, plus a bag of frozen raw king prawns, which made both a useful, additional ice block, on top of their obvious culinary application. Once defrosted, with a little bit of bashed, unpeeled garlic (I was trying to avoid using chopping boards), chilli flakes and olive oil, created a very tasty first night tapas-esque side dish.
I have to admit that in the end salads became the order of the day, with them being so easy to put together whilst laying on a picnic rug and resultant fewer trips across the field to the tap for washing up, therefore maximising the time left to do what I was there for… absolutely nothing!
Pineapple and chilli prawns
By Gavin Wren
Serves 2
PDF recipe card to download or print
Ingredients
225g raw king prawns
2 garlic cloves
A sprinkle of chilli flakes
Leftover pineapple chunks
A few glugs of olive oil
Directions
Cook these together for 5 minutes, which allows the oil to take on the flavour of the garlic. Then turn the heat up to full and add the prawns, cook for a couple of minutes then add the pineapple. Cook this all of this together for about 5 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked through.
If you are having trouble with wind, prop a metal bin lid against the side of the stove and a kettle to the rear.