185min 4 ppl
Prawns Marengo
55 minutes
4 people
Hardover 60 min or 12+ steps
55 min · 13 steps
Hard: over 60 min or 12+ steps
370 kcalper person
Protein 38g
Carbs 12g
Fats 16g
About this dish
A seafood twist on the classic Poulet Marengo, built the same way the original was — by deglazing with dry white wine and a splash of cognac before folding in hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes. Sweet, briny king prawns and deeply golden mushrooms finish in the sauce with fresh tarragon and parsley for a bistro-worthy centrepiece that only takes about an hour.
Allergy Info
Dairy, Sulphites, Fish
Diet Info
Pescatarian
Ingredients
Fresh Produce
- Yellow onionfinely diced1 medium
- Garlic clovesthinly sliced4 cloves
- Button mushroomsquartered200 g
- Flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped1 tbsp
- Tarragon leavesroughly torn1 tbsp
Fish & Seafood
- King prawns, shell-onpeeled and deveined, shells reserved800 g
Dairy & Eggs
- Unsalted butter2 tbsp
Tins & Jars
- Tomato purée1 tsp
- San Marzano tomatoes, whole cannedhand-crushed400 g
- Fish stock150 ml
Dried Goods
- Caster sugar1 tsp
- Crusty baguette or steamed rice to serve
Spices & Seasonings
- Bouquet garnibay leaf, thyme sprig, parsley stalks1 bundle
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Oils & Condiments
- Olive oildivided3 tbsp
- Dry white wine100 ml
- Cognac3 tbsp
Utensils
- Wide saucepan
- Frying pan
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Wooden spoon
Method
1
Peel the prawns, reserving the shells, and devein if needed. Pat the prawns dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Finely dice the onion, slice the garlic, quarter the mushrooms, and hand-crush the canned tomatoes in a bowl.
Approx. 10 minutes
2
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the reserved prawn shells and cook, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes until deeply pink and fragrant. Press with a spoon to extract flavour, then discard the shells and wipe the pan clean.
Approx. 5 minutes
3
Return the pan to medium-high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Sear the prawns in a single layer for 90 seconds per side until just pink and lightly golden at the edges — do not cook through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Approx. 3 minutes
4
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and sweat the onion for 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and translucent with no colour.
Approx. 7 minutes
5
Add the sliced garlic and tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the purée deepens to a brick-red colour and the garlic is fragrant.
Approx. 2 minutes
6
Pour in the cognac and tilt the pan to flambé, or stir vigorously over the heat for 1 minute until the alcohol aroma mellows and the liquid reduces by half.
Approx. 1 minutes
7
Pour in the white wine and cook for 3 minutes, scraping up any fond from the base of the pan, until reduced by two-thirds.
Approx. 3 minutes
8
Add the hand-crushed tomatoes, fish stock, sugar, and bouquet garni. Stir to combine, then simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Approx. 15 minutes
9
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a separate frying pan over high heat until foaming. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes until deeply golden on one side, then toss and cook for a further 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Approx. 5 minutes
10
Remove the bouquet garni from the sauce. Stir in the sautéed mushrooms, then nestle the reserved prawns back into the sauce.
Approx. 1 minutes
11
Cover and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, until the prawns are just cooked through and opaque at the centre. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to confirm an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F) before serving.
Approx. 3 minutes
12
Remove from the heat and stir through the chopped parsley and torn tarragon. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Approx. 1 minutes
13
Serve immediately with crusty baguette or steamed rice.
Approx. 0 minutes
