I have to start by saying how much I chuckled when naming this post. If you are West Indian, i'm sure you understand and cringed when you read the name. Where I come from, whatever you have prepared in a curry sauce always comes after the word "curry" (ie. Curry Chicken, Curry Shrimp, Curry Goat, etc.) This is a very proper way of naming this dish, to go along with the gourmet presentation.

This dish was absolutely as delicious and decadent as it looks. I had been toying with the idea of creating a gourmet style curry for the longest time. So many West Indian Dishes have intricate flavor profiles, but not often do you see the portions scaled down and presented in this way. I had a few ideas, but when I came across these colossal prawns in the supermarket I knew they would be perfect for dish. They were fresh and $19.99/lb from ShopRite.

Gourmet cooking is defined by some people as culinary art. Often called haute cuisine, it is characterized by intricate preparation and elaborate presentation. So, in my opinion, gourmet cooking is all about creating a dish that is pleasurable to all of the consumers senses. I am definitely a person who eats with her eyes, so this was a pleasure to create for me.

I served this dish with some homemade roti. Click here for a recipe and video. If you are not this ambitious, please serve with a white rice of your choice. I prefer basmati rice with my curry.

Ingredients:

Extra Colossal Prawns

Carrots

Green Pepper

Onion

Garlic

Tomato

Green Onion

Shredded Coconut

Wiri Wiri Pepper (hot pepper of your choice)

Flour

Curry Powder

Cajun Seasoning

Garlic Pepper Seasoning

Directions:

First, peel, devein, clean, and butterfly your shrimp leaving the tails on. Use these seasonings to taste. (Side note: I did not like this curry powder. It was way too salty. I would recommend a curry powder without salt, for instance the McCormick brand. Personally, I prefer a Guyanese curry powder, but that will be difficult to find in most places.

This is what it should look like when you are done. Set this aside and let it marinate for a bit while you prepare your other ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spread the coconut shavings on parchment paper on top of a baking sheet.

Toast in the oven until golden brown. This will take approximately 5 to 10 minutes. This is what they will look like when done.

Next, you want to chop and prepare your vegetables. The vegetables below will make the curry sauce. For a smooth textured curry, place the onion (1 medium sized) and garlic (8 cloves) in a food processor until chopped very fine. Then do the same with the tomatoes (1 medium sized) separately until smooth as well.

Julienne chop half of a green pepper, and a carrot. Slice some green onion for garnish.

To create a savory curry sauce, I prefer to make a paste by adding water to these ingredients below. The thicker the paste, the heavier your sauce will be, and if you are not careful you could possibly burn the curry while sauteing.

Combine 2 tbsp of your curry powder of choice, 1/4 tsp of Corriander, 1/4 tsp of cumin, and a dash of cinnamon in a small bowl. Add water to this mix to create a runny paste, slightly thinner than a pancake batter. The Garam Masala will be added once the paste is sautéd with the tomato onions and garlic.

Heat 2tbsp of oil in a saucepan to medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté till fragrant, then add your tomatoes. Let this mixture cook a few minutes before adding your curry paste. Once the paste is added, make sure not to burn the curry to avoid bitterness. If you enjoy heat, as I do, now is the time to add tour hit pepper of choice to taste. Add water to desired consistency for your sauce. Now you can add 1 tbsp of the Garam Masala. Cover, and let this simmer on low while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Keep in mind what you're working towards. You are almost there!

Lightly toss the green pepper and carrots in curry powder and sauté on a medium high heat, just enough to cook. You don't want these vegetables to wilt, or they will not stand well on the plate.

Next, you need to prepare the flour to lightly bread your shrimp for frying. The reason for this is so the shrimp stands upright for proper playing. If you would like to skip this step, for a more healthy creation please do so! You can sauté the shrimp, and sit it upright without the crispy exterior.

Combine a 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp of salt on a small dish big enough to bread each shrimp. Heat a pan with 3 tbsp of oil to medium-high heat. Lightly bread the shrimp, and place in the pan on each side for 2 minutes, then finally sit it upright in the pan for 30 seconds to get the butterflied section crispy and ready to sit beautifully on the plate.

Once all of the parts are cooked to perfection, assemble beautifully for your gourmet Prawn Curry! Don't forget to sprinkle some toasted coconut shavings, and green onions for the perfect aesthetic, and edible garnish.

Bon apetit!

#curry #shrimp