Wild-caught spot prawns instantly transform a leisurely weekend meal into a power brunch where low-key eats are not on the menu. Having spot prawns for brunch is just an inherently bold move: With their sweet, lobster-like flavor, they’re a standout seafood option to serve for a memorable midday meal.
Spot prawns can be worked seamlessly into some of your brunchy faves, but also are the basis of some singular recipes that can’t be made with just any ol’ protein. Here are 7 power brunch ideas to explore with your stash of wild-caught spot prawns:
Grilled Spot Prawns and Creamy Grits
This Pacific catch meets Low Country cuisine in Guilty Kitchen’s recipe for spot prawns and grits. Grits are always a good idea for a power brunch, as there’s no way to rush stirring them into a smooth, creamy consistency — giving you and your fam plenty of time to leisurely sip on a cup of coffee or a bubbly mimosa. The mellow, cheesy flavor of grits complements the heat from this recipe’s grilled and cajun-spiced spot prawns, which you can prepare just before serving the dish al fresco.
Spot Prawn Cocktail with Bloody Mary Sauce
For a brunchy spot prawn cocktail that pairs up quite naturally with Bloody Marys, go bold with this recipe from Washington’s Lighthouse Bistro in South Bay: Vodka-poached spot prawns with a Bloody Mary-inspired cocktail sauce. As with other booze-poached seafood dishes, a splash of vodka in the poaching liquid helps to draw aromatic flavors into the spot prawns. The vodka in the cocktail sauce is just a buzzy bonus that tastes delicious.
Spot Prawns with Vanilla-Lime Butter on Toast
So simple to make when you have a fresh baked loaf of brioche, Vancouver Sun’s recipe serves sauteed spot prawns over toast. The key to this recipe is the sweet and zesty vanilla-lime butter used to saute the spot prawns; beyond that, having good quality bread and the freshest seafood you can get is all you need for this lovely little meal, a quick-to-make starter for your power brunch.
Poached Spot Prawn Souffle
For a heavenly brunch treat, integrate spot prawns (and any roe!) into a seafood souffle. Making a souffle takes a little extra effort and time in the kitchen compared to basic breakfast fare, but it’s a surprisingly easy endeavor. Plus, after waiting about 40 minutes for the souffle to puff up into a towering fluff, you’re bound to get a round of applause — which is not a bad way to start your day. Try substituting bite-sized pieces of gently poached spot prawns as your star protein for our recipe for a seafood souffle.
Spot Prawn Custard
Using similar ingredients to a souffle but with an entirely different approach, these individually-sized spot prawn custards from A Canadian Foodie are sort of like souffle’s less flamboyant (but equally indulgent!) sibling. They’re a great prelude to a power brunch. Custards are low-maintenance to make, as you’re just blending most of the ingredients together into a creamy batter, but note that these need to be made the night before serving so that they set like a proper pudding. This will leave you more time to work on your power brunch’s main course.
Brunchy Spot Prawn Chowder
Chris Whittaker’s recipe for a creamy spot prawn chowder has a decidedly brunchy twist: It’s garnished with poached quail eggs and, if you like, some chicharones. Adapt it to what you have in your home by substituting chicken eggs and bacon bits, if that’s easier for you to work with. And definitely use homemade spot prawn stock in place of the ingredient list’s stock suggestions to make an exquisitely prawn-forward chowder.
Spiced Spot Prawn Benedict
This isn’t your regular brunch’s benedict. Spencer Watts heats up his spot prawns with a savory and smoky blend of spices to serve with his recipe for spot prawn eggs benedict. The recipe doesn’t specify, but you’ll want to use peeled spot prawns for this brunch dish — no one wants to deal with shells on their benedict.
