I just cant seem to get away from the hot weather on this trip! One way to make it more bearable is to enjoy some of Australia’s amazing seafood – prawns in particular.

I like oysters but I love prawns and a plate of six – or 12 if I’m lucky – is pure indulgence. One of my last meals in Australia was at a classic restaurant called The Witchs Cauldron, which is a bit like La Perla in Sea Point.

I was told that the restaurant is known for its sensational, sizzling prawns. They certainly lived up to their reputation. I was initially a tad disappointed when the waitress told me that the shells had been removed; for me thats the tastiest part, especially when they’re dipped into peri-peri or lemon butter.

I heard my cast-iron dish of prawns sizzling from across the restaurant. The smell was unforgettable. And yes, they were out of the shell but they were the sweetest, plumpest pile of prawns that I’d had in a long time. They were immersed in garlic butter with a dash of oil – the chef had managed to brown the garlic without burning it so that it just melted in the mouth. Bliss! The prawns in Australia are excellent and the variety is endless. The fresh fish sections in supermarkets are mind-boggling – prawns on ice, cooked, frozen, large, small or shelled. It seems that a weekend doesnt go by without a prawn barbeque being planned.

A couple of times I found myself walking out of a shopping centre with a bag of bright pink, cooked prawns and a tub of garlic aioli. I just couldnt help myself. The prawn search is on back home – La Perla is calling.

Happy eating!

Abigail

The Witchs Cauldron
89 Rokeby Road
Subiaco Perth
08 9381 2508