Spot prawn season is criminally short: these delicious little crustaceans are only at their peak for about six to eight weeks. Lucky for us, these are the weeks.

If you’re looking to level up your spot prawn preparation this year, chef Harris Sakalis is all over it. The executive chef of Globe@YVR, the restaurant inside the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, is sharing a delicious, refreshing recipe that’s perfect for summer. Gazpacho done right is a warm-weather saviour—who wants to turn on the oven when the sun’s out?

Editor’s note: One of the steps in this recipe is dehydrating halloumi, which is very easy but a little time-consuming: 4 hours in the oven is needed for dehydration. We suggest preparing a batch of dehydrated halloumi prior to putting together the rest of the recipe—after that, everything else is a breeze!

Chef Harris is one of the many talented local chefs participating in the 2023 Steveston Spot Prawn and Seafood Celebration: find excellent food (and the freshest spot prawns the sea has to offer) at the Richmond, B.C. event. It’s on until June 18.

Photo: Fairmont Vancouver Airport

Spot Prawn & Cherry Gazpacho Recipe

Courtesy of chef Harris Sakalis, Globe@YVR at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport
Serves 4-5

Ingredients

For Gazpacho:

200 gr tomatoes, peeled

200 gr cucumber, peeled

200 gr Morello cherry puree

1/4 red onion

1 garlic clove

50 mL extra virgin olive oil

20 mL red wine vinegar

salt to taste

For Garnish:

12 spot prawns

2 avocados, sliced

halloumi cheese – 1 tsp dehydrated powder

fresh basil leaves

jalapeno pepper, sliced thin

extra virgin olive oil to finish

Photo: Fairmont Vancouver Airport

How to Make It

1. Prepare the dehydrated halloumi:

Slice haloumi into thin slices and lay out on a tray with parchment paper. Place the tray in a warm oven (180F) for 4 hours or till totally dry.

Blend the dry halloumi in a food processor till it turns into thin powder. Set remaining powder aside for future use.

2. Prepare the cherry gazpacho:

Roughly chop all vegetables and puree in blender with other ingredients until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.

3. Prepare the spot prawns:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once water is boiling, place shrimp into the water for approximately 30 seconds, until pink.

Remove from water with ladle and place aside.

4. Put it all together:

Pour cherry gazpacho into a bowl and garnish with the lightly poached prawns, avocado, jalapeno, dehydrated halloumi powder, fresh basil leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.