Tarragon Prawn Salad
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Prawns are gently poached in a lemon-and-herb broth until just pink and firm, then chilled fast in ice water so they stay tender. Tossed with mayonnaise, shallot, celery and minced parsley and tarragon, the result is a cool, herby prawn salad rather than a soft, overcooked one.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Poach the prawns. Combine the prawns, the 60 ml lemon juice with its spent halves, the parsley sprigs, tarragon sprigs, peppercorns, sugar and poaching salt with 480 ml cold water in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring several times, until the prawns are pink, firm to the touch and no longer translucent at the centre, 8-10 minutes; the water should be just bubbling at the edge of the pan and register about 74 °C on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the prawns sit in the hot liquid for 2 minutes.
- 2
Chill the prawns. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice water. Drain the prawns into a colander and discard the spent lemon halves, herb sprigs and peppercorns. Immediately transfer the prawns to the ice water to stop the cooking and chill thoroughly, about 3 minutes. Lift out and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- 3
Make the dressing. Whisk together the mayonnaise, shallot, celery, the remaining lemon juice, the minced parsley and the minced tarragon in a medium bowl.
- 4
Toss and serve. Cut each prawn in half lengthwise, then cut each half into thirds. Add the prawns to the mayonnaise mixture and toss to combine. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
23.2 g protein for 199 kcal = 11.7 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 47% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low sugars: 0.9 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 75 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- instant-read thermometer
- colander
- medium bowl (for the ice bath)
- kitchen paper
- chef's knife
- chopping board
- whisk
- medium bowl (for the dressing)
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 199 kcal |
| Protein | 23.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.7 g |
| of which sugars | 0.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 11.1 g |
| of which saturates | 1.8 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g |
| Salt | 0.95 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
11.7 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
