Potted prawns

Ingredients

• 500 g prawns (Select nice sized prawns; raw and shell-on if possible)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter (For tossing the prawns in the frying pan)
• 1 pinch salt (To season the paste; adjust to taste)
• 1 pinch white pepper (To season the paste; adjust to taste)
• 1 pinch red pepper (To season the paste; cayenne or ground red chilli; adjust to taste)
• 4 drops anchovy sauce (Just a few drops; adds a deep savoury note)
• 1 pinch pounded mixed spice (Use shop-bought mixed spice or pound whole spices yourself; a small amount only)
• 2 tablespoons freshly made butter (Use the best quality unsalted butter you can find; at room temperature for easy mixing)
• 1 spoonful melted butter (For sealing the surface of the potted paste in the jar)

Instructions

1. 1Place your prawns in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook until the shells turn pink and the flesh is just cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on size. Do not overcook or they will become rubbery. Drain and set aside to cool slightly so you can handle them.
2. 2Once the prawns are cool enough to handle, peel off the shells and remove the heads. Using a small sharp knife or your fingernail, carefully pick out the black line (the digestive tract) that runs straight down the back and also along the underside of each prawn. Be thorough — removing all grit and the dark vein is important for a clean-tasting paste. Take your time with this step.
3. 3Place the cleaned prawns in a fine mesh sieve set over the sink. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water, then pour a generous amount of cold water over them as they sit in the sieve. This helps flush away any remaining grit. Once you are satisfied they are thoroughly clean, spread them out on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and pat them completely dry. Excess moisture will dilute the paste, so drying them well is important.
4. 4Melt a tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over a gentle medium heat. Add the dried prawns and toss them in the butter, stirring continuously, until they have absorbed the butter. This only takes 2 to 3 minutes. The goal is not to fry them further but to coat them thoroughly and allow the butter to be taken up into the prawn flesh, which will enrich the final paste. Remove from the heat.
5. 5Pass the buttered prawns through a mincer or meat grinder to break them down into a coarse paste. If you do not have a mincer, a food processor pulsed a few times will work — be careful not to over-process at this stage, as the next step will refine the texture further. You want a roughly minced consistency at this point.
6. 6Transfer the minced prawns to a large mortar and pound them thoroughly with the pestle until you have a smooth, even paste. This step takes patience — keep pounding and working the mixture until no large pieces remain. The pounding breaks down the fibres and creates a much smoother result than mincing alone. If you find the mixture sticking, scrape down the sides of the mortar and continue.
7. 7Using the back of a large spoon or a spatula, press the pounded paste through a fine wire sieve (or a fine mesh strainer) into a clean bowl. This is the final refinement step and produces an exceptionally smooth, silky paste. Work in batches if needed, scraping and pressing until as much of the paste as possible has passed through. Discard any fibrous residue left behind in the sieve.
8. 8To the smooth prawn paste in your bowl, add a pinch of salt, a pinch of white pepper, a pinch of red pepper, a few drops of anchovy sauce, and a small pinch of pounded mixed spice. Add the freshly made butter (at room temperature so it blends easily). Using a spoon or spatula, work everything together thoroughly until fully incorporated and the paste is uniform in colour and texture. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, keeping within the listed seasonings.
9. 9Spoon the seasoned prawn paste into an earthenware jar or a small ramekin, pressing it down firmly so there are no air pockets and the surface is level. Melt a spoonful of butter gently in a small pan or in the microwave, then carefully pour it over the surface of the paste to form an even sealing layer. This butter seal helps preserve the paste and keeps it fresh. Allow the butter to set at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.