Grilled Jumbo Black Tiger Prawns: Seafood Heaven

More like small lobster tails, these sweet succulent 'super colossal' black tiger prawns are so large they're sold 4-6 to the pound, although 'colossal' which are 8-12 count do an admirable job too — the key is to buy the largest prawns you can. In this case, size does matter. Served as a special treat on their own or as part of a 'surf-and-turf' feast, these gorgeous creatures are substantial enough to withstand a marinade with a little zing — a splash of sambal oelek or Lebanese hot pepper paste should do the trick. Whisked with minced garlic, fresh squeezed lemon juice, grated ginger, fresh mint and cilantro, teaspoon of Dijon mustard, dash of soy sauce and a glug of olive oil, and left to marinate for an hour or so, they're simply divine grilled on the barbecue for about 3-5 minutes per side and served with a bowl of cold creamy tzatziki, for a sensational seafood treat.

4 spectacular colossal black tiger prawns, so large they're 4-6 to the pound

Blended marinade of garlic, ginger, mint, cilantro, Sambal Oelek, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, 

soy sauce and olive oil

The marinade is rubbed into the shelled and deveined prawns, 

then covered and refrigerated until ready to grill

Prawns grilled on the "Barby"

Grilled Spicy Super Colossal Black Tiger Prawns
Serves 1

4 Colossal prawns (4-6 to the pound), peeled and deveined with tail left on
1/2 tbsp Sambal Oelek or 1/8 tsp Lebanese hot pepper paste
1 tbsp each fresh mint and cilantro, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1-inch piece ginger, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil


In a small food processor, whizz the garlic and ginger to a fine mince, then add the sambal oelek, lemon juice, mint, cilantro, mustard, soy sauce and oil, and purée to a loose paste. Mix the shrimp with the marinade and allow to marinate for 30-60 minutes. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat, and grill the shrimp for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the size of the prawns. Serve with tzatziki and a sprig mint.

Rainbow from our terrace overlooking Lake Ontario, as the succulent prawns grill to pink perfection