Grilled Spot Prawns

I sure hope I’m able, when I’m in my sixties, to run an ultra marathon.  Whether I will is questionable…make that unlikely.  But my friend Katie’s mom rocks that lifestyle.  I’ve found my mouth agape after hearing from Katie that her mom just ran up Pike’s Peak twice as training.  This year alone, she’s competed in two sixty milers. 

Katie’s no slouch herself.  In college, her limping into our environmental communication classes after running a marathon was arguably what put the first bee in my bonnet to run a marathon myself last year.

Prawns in the fry pan. The legs should've come off first.

Katie & her mom Elizabeth came to Juneau to visit and I had them for dinner, including these grilled spot prawns as an appetizer. We shelled the Sitka shrimp over stories of their slogging on skis over Crow Pass at 10-below.  Simple and scrumptious, these are a great go-to for guests.

The roasted red pepper mayonnaise dipping sauce is easy enough to whip up. I had a jar of peppers in the fridge. They just get pureed and then blended together—with egg yolk, lemon juice, oil, and a dash of cayenne pepper—to make the mayo.  They cook quickly—just a couple minutes on each side in a hot oiled frying pan. 

Grilled spot prawns served with red pepper mayonnaise on a bed of greens

Ultra runners apparently down everything from Gu packets to chocolate milk to keep their energy up during a run.  For me, one marathon is enough. Hearing tales from the trails at home while enjoying a home cooked meal is much more my style.