Sami Tamimi's Prawn and Tomato Stew with Fregola: A Hearty Winter Warmer
As the temperatures drop, there's nothing quite like a hearty, comforting bowl of prawn and tomato stew to warm the cockles of your heart. This recipe, courtesy of Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi, is a masterclass in blending flavors and textures to create a truly satisfying meal.
The star of the show is undoubtedly the fregola, a small Sardinian pasta that's perfectly cooked al dente. Tamimi serves it with a rich and flavorful prawn stew, made with succulent king prawns, cherry tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and coriander seeds. The result is a dish that's both vibrant and comforting, with the bright freshness of the pesto adding a welcome note of brightness.
But what truly sets this recipe apart is the herby quick-pickled vegetable salad that serves as its perfect foil. A simple yet elegant accompaniment, this tangy and refreshing salad is made with thinly sliced red onion, beetroot, fennel, carrots, and lettuce, all tied together with a light drizzle of apple cider vinegar and olive oil.
Together, these two dishes form a match made in heaven, with the warm, spicy stew perfectly balanced by the cool, crunchy salad. It's a true triumph of Palestinian cuisine, showcasing Tamimi's skill as a chef and his deep love for the simple pleasures in life.
Recipe highlights:
* Fresh pesto adds a burst of bright flavor to the prawn stew
* Fregola provides a satisfying texture contrast to the soft pasta
* Herby quick-pickled vegetable salad offers a refreshing foil to the rich stew
Cooking time: 20 minutes prep, 50 minutes cooking, serves 4.
Ingredients:
For the prawn stew:
* 400g frozen king prawns (or fresh, peeled and deveined)
* 120g fregola
* 220g cherry tomatoes
* 60ml olive oil
* 1 large onion, finely chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, crushed
* 2cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
* 1 green chilli, finely chopped
* 1½ tsp coriander seeds
* 1 tsp cumin seeds
* 6 cardamom pods
* 15g dill, finely chopped
* 2 tsp tomato paste
* Salt and black pepper
For the pesto:
* 20g coriander
* 1 green chilli, finely chopped
* 35g pine nuts
* 3 tbsp olive oil
* 1 lemon, zest finely grated
For the herby quick-pickled vegetable salad:
* 90ml apple cider vinegar
* 1 tbsp caster sugar
* ½ tsp coriander seeds
* ½ tsp caraway seeds
* Salt and black pepper
* 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 1 small golden beetroot, thinly sliced
* ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthways
* 2 medium purple carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
* 3 tbsp olive oil
* 2 dolce romaine lettuce leaves
* 5g picked dill fronds
* 5g basil leaves
* 5g picked coriander leaves
* 5g picked mint leaves
In short, this is a recipe that's guaranteed to warm your heart and satisfy your taste buds. So go ahead, give it a try, and experience the simple yet profound joy of Palestinian cuisine for yourself.
As the temperatures drop, there's nothing quite like a hearty, comforting bowl of prawn and tomato stew to warm the cockles of your heart. This recipe, courtesy of Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi, is a masterclass in blending flavors and textures to create a truly satisfying meal.
The star of the show is undoubtedly the fregola, a small Sardinian pasta that's perfectly cooked al dente. Tamimi serves it with a rich and flavorful prawn stew, made with succulent king prawns, cherry tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and coriander seeds. The result is a dish that's both vibrant and comforting, with the bright freshness of the pesto adding a welcome note of brightness.
But what truly sets this recipe apart is the herby quick-pickled vegetable salad that serves as its perfect foil. A simple yet elegant accompaniment, this tangy and refreshing salad is made with thinly sliced red onion, beetroot, fennel, carrots, and lettuce, all tied together with a light drizzle of apple cider vinegar and olive oil.
Together, these two dishes form a match made in heaven, with the warm, spicy stew perfectly balanced by the cool, crunchy salad. It's a true triumph of Palestinian cuisine, showcasing Tamimi's skill as a chef and his deep love for the simple pleasures in life.
Recipe highlights:
* Fresh pesto adds a burst of bright flavor to the prawn stew
* Fregola provides a satisfying texture contrast to the soft pasta
* Herby quick-pickled vegetable salad offers a refreshing foil to the rich stew
Cooking time: 20 minutes prep, 50 minutes cooking, serves 4.
Ingredients:
For the prawn stew:
* 400g frozen king prawns (or fresh, peeled and deveined)
* 120g fregola
* 220g cherry tomatoes
* 60ml olive oil
* 1 large onion, finely chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, crushed
* 2cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
* 1 green chilli, finely chopped
* 1½ tsp coriander seeds
* 1 tsp cumin seeds
* 6 cardamom pods
* 15g dill, finely chopped
* 2 tsp tomato paste
* Salt and black pepper
For the pesto:
* 20g coriander
* 1 green chilli, finely chopped
* 35g pine nuts
* 3 tbsp olive oil
* 1 lemon, zest finely grated
For the herby quick-pickled vegetable salad:
* 90ml apple cider vinegar
* 1 tbsp caster sugar
* ½ tsp coriander seeds
* ½ tsp caraway seeds
* Salt and black pepper
* 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 1 small golden beetroot, thinly sliced
* ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthways
* 2 medium purple carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
* 3 tbsp olive oil
* 2 dolce romaine lettuce leaves
* 5g picked dill fronds
* 5g basil leaves
* 5g picked coriander leaves
* 5g picked mint leaves
In short, this is a recipe that's guaranteed to warm your heart and satisfy your taste buds. So go ahead, give it a try, and experience the simple yet profound joy of Palestinian cuisine for yourself.
it sounds like just what we need to cozy up on a chilly winter's day! and omg the fregola is supposed to be al dente which means it's got that perfect bit of chewiness 
i love when recipes have those little details that make everything come together. and can we talk about how amazing it sounds to have this herby quick-pickled veg salad on the side? like, the perfect balance of flavors and textures 
totally trying this out ASAP 
The whole "quick-pickled vegetable salad" thing sounds like just a bunch of fiddly prep work to me. And don't even get me started on the number of spices and seeds required - it's like they're trying to obscure the fact that it's just a bowl of soup with some pasta in it... 
and dont even get me started on that herby quick-pickled veggie salad its like the perfect accompaniment to the rich stew. its so cool how tamimi put together these two seemingly simple dishes into this masterclass recipe that will leave u wanting more 
seriously try it out ASAP and thank me later 
I mean, 400g frozen king prawns? That's like eating a whole meal by itself. And what's with all the coriander seeds? Can't we just use some regular salt and pepper instead? 
Just buy a jar of store-bought pesto and save yourself some time.
. Can we please just focus on something more interesting, like that new video game that just came out? 
and the addition of coriander seeds and cumin seeds in the stew is genius 
Sami Tamimi's recipe is definitely getting a save on my cooking list ASAP 
. And what's up with all the spices and herbs - can't we just use some salt and pepper like normal people?
just had this stew with fregola and it was LIFE.CHANGING. Sami Tamimi knows what's up! The prawn stew is so rich and flavorful, but that quick-pickled veg salad takes it to a whole new level 
. The combination of the warm, spicy stew and the cool, crunchy salad is pure magic 
. And can we talk about how simple yet elegant the herby quick-pickled vegetable salad is? 
. Recipe highlights all over the place! 
you know what's even better than a delicious prawn stew? A good ol' fashioned excuse to stay indoors and binge-watch your favorite shows while making a big pot of stew 
Sami Tamimi's recipe is giving me all the feels, but I gotta say, 50 minutes of cooking time is a bit long for my liking 
can't we just have a quick and easy meal for once?! 
also i know this might sound weird but i kinda fell in love with the herby quick-pickled veggie salad 
. Think about it, who just happens to share a recipe from their own kitchen on the internet? It's like Tamimi is trying to brainwash us with his culinary skills 
. And have you noticed how this recipe is only being shared now, when the temperatures are dropping and everyone needs a warm meal? It's like he's tapping into our subconscious desire for comfort food 
. Mark my words, this recipe is more than just a simple stew, it's a mind control experiment 
. And that herby quick-pickled veggie salad? Genius 
. Definitely give it a try, you won't be disappointed 
. And can we talk about the pesto for a second? That fresh herb vibe is giving me life 
.
. It's like my mom used to say: "Life's too short for bland food." 
And this recipe delivers! So go ahead, give it a try, and thank me later