939. GRILLED EUCALYPTUS, PUMPKIN, BACON and APPLE SKEWERED PRAWNS

1 kilogram pumpkin
1 onion, finely chopped
1 apple, cored and finely chopped
1 cup stock, chicken or vegetable
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 kilogram king prawns
8 slices bacon, cut into small pieces.
8 skewers, metal, or wooden,
the juice of 2 limes
eucalyptus herb butter [*]
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon oil
snow peas, sufficient for 4 servings.
freshly ground pepper

Place chopped pumpkin, onion, apple, stock, nutmeg and salt in heavy-based saucepan with the water and milk, and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until pumpkin is tender. Drain any excess liquid and mash or puree pumpkin potage. Keep warm. Peel and de-vein prawns, leaving tails on. Thread prawns and bacon pieces alternately onto skewers, and rub prawns with lime juice. Place the filled skewers on a grill plate and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Baste with eucalyptus butter. While the prawns are grilling, heat a little butter and oil in pan and gently stir fry snow peas for 1 to 2 minutes. Divide pumpkin potage between four preheated plates and sprinkle with pepper. Place 2 prawn skewers on each plate of pumpkin and Garnish with snow peas.


courtesy of: A Taste of Australia, by Joy Ross and Alistair Punshon