Prawns and scallops in kataifi with spicy capsicum skordalia
20 Dec 2024
This Lyndey Milan recipe is from Lyndey & Blair’s Taste of Greece Book (Hardie Grant RRP $39.95).
Lyndey is a popular, experienced international tour host and you can join her on one of her Culinary & Cultural Tours in Morocco 30 April – 11 May or Puglia (Italy) 13 – 20 May.
Garídes kai ostráka may kataïfi may kaftéri pipéria skordália
Kataifi pastry made with a special form of shredded fillo dough. It is usually used in sweets, especially those with nuts and honey but I also like it in savoury dishes. With patience you can make your own by shredding fillo into very thin strips.
Serves 6-8 as part of meze
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Half of a 375g packet of kataifi pastry
90g butter, melted
½ cup chopped dill
12 large green prawns, peeled leaving tail on, deveined
12 large fresh scallops
½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil, for frying
Spicy capsicum skordalia
1 long mild red chilli, roughly chopped
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
250g jar (or loose) roasted red capsicum, drained
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
Method:
- Open the packet of kataifi pastry, place in a bowl and loosen the strands with fingers. Return half of the pastry to the packet for later use.
- Add the melted butter and dill to the pastry in the bowl, mix with fingers until pastry is evenly coated. Place about 1 tablespoon of pastry on a board and gently stretch to form a 10cm long strip. Place prawn at one end of the strip and roll pastry around prawn. Place on a tray. Continue with remaining prawns. Repeat process to wrap scallops. Cover with a clean cloth to prevent drying out and refrigerate until needed.
- For the Spicy capsicum skordalia: place the chilli, bread and salt in food processor, process to make crumbs. Add capsicum and process until smooth. Add vinegar, and then slowly add the oil, until mixture blends to a smooth, creamy texture.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat, cook prawns and scallops in batches, prawns for 2 minutes each side and scallops 1-2 minutes each side, or until golden and cooked through. Lower the heat to medium if they are cooking too quickly. Reheat the oil between batches. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve the fried prawns and scallops with the Spicy capsicum skordalia
Lyndey’s Note: Prawns and scallops can be wrapped in the kataifi pastry, placed on a tray, covered in a single layer and kept in the fridge several hours in advance. The Spicy capsicum skordalia can be made several days ahead.
Recipe from Lyndey & Blair’s Taste of Greece (now only $25)
Lyndey Milan OAM aims to inspire, nourish and connect people. A familiar face on television and in print, she has been instrumental in changing the way Australians think about food and wine for four decades via her own nine best-selling cookbooks, nine international TV series and influence as former Food Director of the iconic Australian Women’s Weekly. She is an award-winning multi-media presenter, MC, speaker, food & wine teacher, consultant, debater, judge and regional Australian specialist who makes numerous TV & culinary appearances.
With a profile beyond Australia, she is a popular international tour host and will be returning to Morocco and Puglia in 2025. She also works as an enrichment speaker on cruises.
Lyndey is a key contributor to Selector magazine, writes freelance, has reviewed for the Good Food Guide since 1987. A Councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW where she was the first female Vice-President. She is Co-Founder and Patron of Tasting Success, a mentoring programme for female chefs, an Ambassador for the Leukaemia Foundation, Cure Cancer and is active with many other charities.
Please visit lyndeymilan.com for more information.
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