Prawns with Apple, Fennel, and Sesame

Pfft. That's the kind of noise I make when I think about eating prawns. Prawns kind of bore me. I think it's because they are usually only offered in three ways: on a skewer, in a batter, in a cocktail sauce. And I don't know about you but I actually like tasting the PRAWN, not the chargrillling/batter/can we even call it a sauce? 

So because I like tasting the prawn I made this; a dish with prawns that tastes like prawns. The other ingredients are all there to enhance the delicate meatiness of the said prawns and to give a extra crunch. This dish is light and fresh; perfect as a starter or bulked out with leaves to form a salad. 

Ingredients to serve 2: 

180g of king prawns, raw and peeled

1/2 a green apple (I used Granny Smith as it's a tangy, crispy variety)

2 tsps of sesame seeds

1/2 tsp of fennel seeds

2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp of lemon juice

Pinch of sea salt

Firstly toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat until you can smell the fennel aroma and the seeds start to pop; transfer the seeds into a pestle and mortar and bash up until a powder. Next toast the sesame seeds, again in a dry pan over a medium heat, until golden and transfer to a clean bowl when done. 

For the dressing mix the ground fennel, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. And erm, that's it. 

Core the apple and slice into fine julienne; don't bother peeling. Cook the prawns in a dry pan, without any oil, for 2 minutes on each side until the prawns are pink and firm to the touch. 

To serve pile the prawns onto a plate and assemble the apple julienne on top. Drizzle over a couple of tbsps of the dressing and finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.