1small handful of Italian parsley, more or less according to personal taste
55gramsunsalted butter, softened at room temperature (1/4 cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest, optional and juice of 1/3 lemon
Garnish: chopped parsley leaves and lemon wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
Butterfly the prawns (without the heads): Twist the heads off the prawns. Using a pair of sharp kitchen scissors, snip off the sharp, pointy spike at the tail and trim off the prawns legs if desired. Cut, using the kitchen scissors, the prawns shell along the middle of its back all the way to the end of the tail to get an incision.
Lay the prawn flat on a chopping board. Use a sharp knife and slice the prawn along the incision to make a deeper incision, taking care not to cut all the way through the shell. Open the prawn up like a butterfly and press it down gently so that it stay open. Rinse the prawn and remove the intestinal track.
Season the butterflied prawns with 1 teaspoon of table salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Rinse the prawns, pat dry with paper towels and lay them on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) or baking dish.
Garlic-Parsley Butter: In a pestle and mortar, combine the peeled garlic cloves, Italian parsley and salt and pound until a paste forms. Combine the paste with the softened butter and season with black pepper. Add in the zest, if using, and the lemon juice. Spread the butter mixture onto the prawns and refrigerate the prawns until needed.
Roasting the prawns: Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius (top and bottom heating element). Roast the prawns on the highest rack possible for 5 to 7 minutes until the prawns are pink and opaque. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and lemon wedges on the side.