Let’s face it, whether you are hosting or attending an Oscar party, there is only so much time that can be devoted to watching the show before you get bored with all the obscure awards and the never-ending teary-eyed speeches of thanks. For me, that’s when my attention turns to the food.
At an Oscar party people often try to put on a classy affair with lots of fancy hors d’oeuvres, but sometimes that can backfire as they can be time consuming to make and typically look nothing like the picture in the recipe book. My advice is to focus on one dish and do a great job with that and then cheat on the rest (hello frozen appetizers!) or have your friends share in the work. If I were hosting a party this year I would make a prawn guacomole appetizer.
I have made this appetizer several times, most recently for New Year’s, and not only is it easy to make, it also tastes great and has a beautiful presentation style. The guacomole has a nice zesty flavour courtesy of the lime juice and, if you want to add a little sizzle, seed and mince a jalapeño and add to the guacomole. The prawns cook quickly so don’t take your eyes off them for long once you have put them on the heat. These will go fast so take one off the plate for yourself before feeding the crowd!
Cooking Tips: I have made these with British Columbia spot prawns and, on occasion, I have also used prawns purchased at Costco. Spot prawns taste the best but are pricier. Also, you usually have to peel them which can be a bit messy and time consuming and they may not be as readily available depending on where you live. Make sure you buy the avocados a couple days in advance as they are usually rock hard and will need a couple of days to ripen. If you decide to add the jalapeño, make sure you wear rubber gloves when cutting them up or at least don’t touch your eyes for a while. It will burn, horribly.
Prawn Guacomole Appetizers
Prawns
12-18 raw prawns, defrosted and peeled
1 tbsp. sesame oil
¼ tsp. chile flakes
Heat oil in frying pan until hot. Add prawns and stir fry until just changed in colour. This should take 3 to 5 minutes.
Guacomole
2 ripe avocados
1 lime, juice of
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
½ tsp. salt
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (if desired)
In a bowl, mash the the two avocados. Add the lime juice, salt and cilantro. Adjust the salt to taste.
Crackers
12-18 thin crackers, such as Carr’s water crackers
To assemble, place a tablespoon of the Guacomole on each cracker. Remove tail from prawn, and place a cooked prawn on each cracker and garnish with a piece of cilantro if desired.
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