Prepare the cucumber
Cut the cucumber across into 6 pieces, each 2.5cm/1 inch long. Cut each round lengthwise into 6 equal pieces, and ‘turn’ each piece into a barrel shape.
Dublin Bay Prawns Poached with Cucumber
A professional recipe from Ian McAndrew’s kitchen.
Yield: Serves 6
Method
Poach the prawns
Wash the Dublin Bay prawns and remove their heads. Put the heads in the freezer for another recipe. If the claws are large, remove them and put them with the tails into a large pan along with the fish stock and the vermouth. Cover this with a tightly fitting lid, set over a high heat and bring to the boil. When boiling, turn down to simmer and continue simmering for 5 minutes. When cooked, remove them from the liquor and allow to cool.
Reduce the liquor and prepare the prawn meat
Return the liquor to the stove and reduce until only a quarter of its original volume remains. While this is reducing and when the tails have cooled enough to handle, carefully remove the meat and discard the dark line that runs the length of the tail. If you have also cooked the claws, remove the meat from these too.
To serve
When the stock has reduced, add the cream and the pieces of cucumber, bring back to the boil and reduce a little more. Cut the butter into small cubes and gradually add these to the sauce, whisking continuously until all the butter has melted. On no account allow the sauce to boil once you have started to add the butter, as it will separate. Add the tails and claws of the prawns to the sauce and allow them to soak in the sauce for 1 minute. Divide the prawns and the cucumber between the plates, pour over the sauce and top with the sprigs of fennel.