Grilled Tiger Prawns with Desert Lime Herb Salad

Desert Lime is fast becoming a common ingredient in specialty food stores and is snapped up by chefs and cooks of all ranks. For generations, Australian aboriginals have eaten this vibrant fruit straight off the tree and the early European settlers would turn the Desert Lime into pantry items like chutneys, pickles and marmalades. Nowadays ’this native fruit is getting a little more recognition and finding its way into many different dishes across Australia, although is highly recommended to eat it raw off the tree.

A small bright green fruit that has a flavour reminiscent of a lime mixed with a cumquat is high in vitamins C and E and folate and adds a citrus burst to any dish that you wish to incorporate it into. The Desert Lime is easy to use as it does not require any preparation. Simply slice or leave whole and add it to your dish to get that unmistakable Aussie citrus flavour. This small punchy ingredient is perfect for your next salad dressing or a sauce for seafood. The versatility of this unique ingredient is not limited to savoury cooking, try adding it to your next sorbet or jam for a zingy punch of flavour.

With my Desert Lime Herb Salad, the acidity of the desert limes are balanced by the sweetness of the grapes which are a perfect complement for the delicate Tiger Prawns.

Tip: If you cannot get Tiger Prawns use good quality and locally sourced prawns as an alternative.

Ingredients
  • 10-12 Tiger Prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 1 bunch of watercress, picked
  • 1/4 cup dill, picked and washed
  • ¼ cup of coriander leaves, picked and washed
  • 6-8 desert limes, cut in half
  • 8 red grapes, cut into 3mm rounds
  • 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil plus extra
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
Directions

Place the ricotta, extra virgin olive oil and salt into a small mixing bowl and using a whisk whip the ricotta until everything is fully combined and you have a smooth consistency. You may have to add a dash of water to loosen the mix depending on what your ricotta is like, the mix should have the consistency of thick yoghurt. Check and adjust the seasoning if needed and set aside. This process can also be done in a food processor or using a stick blender.

On a clean board and using a sharp knife cut the tops of the stems from the figs and discard then slice the figs lengthways into 4 or six segments each, depending on size.
Get a suitable platter or bowl from the cupboard and make a mound of the whipped ricotta to one side of your serving dish, scatter the fig segments around the rest of the dish. Do not be pedantic about the placement of the fig segments, you want the plate to look rustic.

Meanwhile bring the honey to the boil in a small saucepan over high heat with the lemon myrtle. Cook the honey for 3-4 minutes until you can smell the honey start to caramelise, allow to cool slightly and pour over the fig segments and whipped ricotta. You can drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top of the dish before serving as an optional extra.

Serve immediately.