When the weather is hot it usually means our appetites are not. However, the following recipe may be the answer: it is light, summery, fresh and seafoody. Perfect!

The recipe does have cream in the list of ingredients but the resultant texture of the recipe isn’t cloying at all. The cream enhances the flavours of the prawns and coriander.

1kg green prawns, peeled and de-veined (retain prawn shells)

125g butter

1/4 cup plain flour

Splash white wine

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely grated

Salt and pepper

1 cup cream

1/4 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped

Prawn Shells

1L water

1tsp salt

(1) Make the sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat until it turns a light brown colour, be careful not to burn. Add the flour to the pan with the butter and whisk vigorously until the butter and flour form a smooth roux.

(2) Add a cup of prawn stock and a splash of wine to the roux, whisking all the time to avoid any lumps forming. Simmer over a low heat, whisking gently, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat, place to one side, and keep warm.

(3) In a large heavy based frypan, heat the olive oil over a low heat. Add the chopped onion, and continue to cook until the onion starts to soften. Add the peeled prawns and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring from time to time to ensure that both sides of the prawns are getting cooked. Add the garlic and tomatoes to the prawn mixture. Continue to cook for about three minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(4) Add cream to the roux in the saucepan and mix well. Place the saucepan back on a low heat and stir well for a couple of minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the coriander and stir well.

(5) Pour the sauce over the prawns and mix thoroughly to combine the prawns and the sauce.

Simply add the prawn shells to the litre of water with the teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about five minutes. Then strain the stock, reserving the fluid.

To seed the Roma tomatoes either cut them in half and, by hand, squeeze the seeds out, or cut the tomatoes into quarters and using a teaspoon scrape the seeds out.