Cherubin (Macrobrachium Rosenbergii) are what I would call the King of the prawn world. They are a giant river prawn and are found in tropical areas in South East Asia and Australia’s North. Your average king prawn is around 50g but these freshwater prawns can get up to 300g!
The flavour is an earthy sweetness that is very different to various saltwater species. You will see how we do this prawn fishing in my youtube video. It’s very simple. There is no size limit but the daily bag limit is 9 litres.
The question I’m often asked is “can you use them in place of saltwater prawns in recipes?” the answer is 100% YES. The end result will just vary slightly because the flavour of the cherubin is different. The key is to keep the flavours balanced so you don’t overpower them.
The other question I get asked is “what’s your favourite recipe for cherubin?” That recipe you can’t cook in your kitchen. You need to be out by the river with a camp fire burning and throw them straight on the coals. It’s next level! You get that earthy, sweetness along with smokiness from the coals. Pair that with some bush scenery, a cold beer, a crocodile infested river and you’ll realise what living is. Just watch out for the crocs or you may not be living for long.
Get down the river for an amazing time of catching cherubin. You can even chuck one of your fresh catch on a fishing hook and hope you land a barramundi! Check your local area for what fishing licence you may need.
Sure, here is the recipe for Chilli Cherubin Spaghetti in a good format for your website:
Ingredients
- 500g cherubin
- 200g cherry tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic
- Knob of butter
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 chilli
- 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley
- 400g spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Season the cherry tomatoes and 4 cloves garlic with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tomatoes are blistered and the garlic is soft.
- Finely chop the remaining 2 cloves garlic.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and fennel seeds and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the cherubin to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned.
- Add the chilli and cook for 1 minute more.
- Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the skillet and add the butter.
- Add the roasted tomatoes and garlic to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Drain the spaghetti and add it to the skillet along with a few tablespoons of the pasta water.
- Toss everything together until the spaghetti is coated in the sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Serves: 3-4
Tips
- For a spicier dish, use more chilli.
- If you don’t have cherubin, you can use prawns or other small seafood.
- To make the sauce ahead of time, roast the tomatoes and garlic, then store them in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to cook, simply reheat the sauce and add the cherubin and spaghetti.