"Casserole" of Prawns

Dan found a recipe called 'Casserole of Prawns' in Chefs of Aloha: Favorite Recipes from the Top Chefs of Hawai'i. It's a cookbook we picked up while on the Big Island together for the first time back in October of 2007. We were driving from the Leeward to the Windward side of the island, along the Southern road, and stopped to use the restroom in the town of Punalu`u, at a bakery.

This was one of those serendipitous moments when you find yourself somewhere for a one reason, but discover something - or in this case, somethings - wonderful in the process. It turns out the Punalu`u Bake Shop isn't just any small town bakery. They make AMAZING breads and cookies that are highly regarded on the islands, and around the world. Thankfully, we picked up some sweet bread to have for breakfasts - and were very glad we did.

And while Dan was in the restroom, I poked around the gift shop and found the Chefs of Aloha cookbook, and decided to buy it based on the beautiful photos and interesting recipes. It's a collection of recipes from chefs of many of the high end restaurants and resorts around the islands. This particular recipe is from Jeff Wind of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa.

To be honest, it turned out a little odd. I wouldn't consider it a casserole, since it doesn't include any noodles or rice or other binding agent. It's essentially prawns, coated in sauce, with a lot of panko sprinkled on top. The flavors were good (despite me forgetting to season it with salt & pepper - Logan would be horrified), but it wasn't satisfying by itself, so we ended up making some flavored popcorn later (inspired by another cookbook called simply, Popcorn). I sorta assumed the 10 prawns called for in the dish were much larger than the ones we got, so I actually used about 30 prawns... and still it didn't seem like enough food. I suspect this is normally a course in a multi course meal.

Casserole of Prawns

1 cup panko
2 Tbspn melted butter
1 Tbspn chopped garlic
1 tspn paprika
1 tspn chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients and blend well. Spread mixture on a baking sheet and bake until light brown.

1 Tbspn olive oil
1/2 Tbspn chopped garlic
1/2 Tbspn chopped shallots
1 tspn paprika
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 Tbspn butter
1 Tbspn flour
Salt & Pepper to taste
10 prawns

In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute garlic and shallots until transluscent. Stir in paprika and white wine; reduce by half. Add clam juice and heavy cream; reduce by half. In a small skillet, melt butter and stir in flour. Blend until smooth, creating a roux. Add roux to sauce mixture and cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet and saute prawns until done. Place in a serving dish, pour a little sauce over the prawns, and sprinkle with panko topping. Serve immediately.