Prawn Thermidor tortillas recipe

I first tried this dish, made with lobster, while in Havana, stopping off on a long drive down the coast to a fishing lodge. I’ve made it since with both prawns and lobster and friends still request it on fishing trips; swap the prawns for lobster meat if you’re feeling extravagant. There’s no booze involved, unlike true lobster thermidor, but it echoes the dish with a creamy, cheesy sauce spiked with mustard. 

Timings 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 

4

Ingredients

• 400ml double cream
• 3 tsp English mustard
• 300g raw seawater prawns (peeled weight), each chopped into 3 pieces
• 120g cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 8 x 15cm soft flour tortillas
• Olive oil for frying
• Lime wedges for squeezing

Method

1. Put the cream in a pan with the mustard and some seasoning and simmer gently until it has reduced by about two thirds.
2. Stir in the prawns, grated cheese and chives and continue simmering until the sauce is thick enough to just coat the prawns.
3. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a heavy-based or non-stick frying pan.
4. Taste the creamy prawns to check for seasoning and divide the mixture between the tortillas, spooning it into the middle of each one. 
5. Fold the tortillas in half.
6. Add them in batches to the frying pan and fry over a medium heat for about a minute on each side, carefully flipping them over, but don’t let them get too crisp.
7. Serve immediately with wedges of lime for squeezing.