Butterfly Prawn Spiedini with Chili and Raspberry Pip

The success of this dish stems from the quality of the prawns, so it is worth getting really good ones, such as Mediterranean prawns, with great flavor and texture. A fruity, slightly spicy dip is such an easy but fabulous accompaniment.

Prepare the barbecue. Soak the skewers in cold water for 30 minutes. Make the dip by mixing the vinegar and sugar in a small pan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, stirring, then add the raspberries.

When the raspberry juices start to flow, tip the mixture into a sieve set over a bowl. Push the raspberries through the sieve using the back of a ladle. Discard the seeds. Stir the chili into the raspberry puree. When the dip is cool, cover and place in a cool place until needed.

Butterfly each prawn by making an incision down the curved back, just as you would when deveining. Use a piece of kitchen paper to wipe away the dark spinal vein.

Mix the oil with a little sea salt in a bowl. Add the prawns and toss to coat, then thread them on to the drained skewers, spearing those head first. Once the flames have died down, position a lightly oiled grill rack over the coals to heat. When the coals are hot, or with a light coating of ash, grill the prawns for about 5 minutes, depending on size, turning them over once. Serve hot, with the dip.

Serves 6
30 raw Mediterranean prawns (jumbo shrimp), peeled, with heads removed but tails left on
15ml/1 tbsp sunflower oil
Sea salt
30 wooden skewers
For the chili and raspberry dip
30ml/2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
15ml/1 tbsp sugar
115g/4oz/% cup raspberries
1 large fresh red chili, seeded and finely chopped