Red Prawn Addiction

Look at this. It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it?

For those of you who know your prawns, you might guess that the intensity of its red colour is directly proportional to the intensity of its flavour. And you'd be correct.

The meat is succulent, like a normal prawn, but it is sweeter and packs a greater umami punch than its 'normal' prawn cousins. So the flesh alone would win some Prawn Oscars, but the head, now that would win some Prawn Nobel Prizes. The head flavour is really, really incredible, like a sweet, prawny, umami-loaded atomic bomb.

So no surprises when red prawns, known as gamberi rossi in Italian, featured in most of our meals during our time in Western Sicily. The best way to savour their taste is to try them cooked simply: grilled with salt, and a drizzle of lemon. Especially at a place like Osteria La Bettolaccia, who know how to pick the freshest red prawns, and cook them better than almost everywhere else in Trapani.

Also, try them with the local busiate pasta and almonds, or in a risotto. Both these dishes are executed sublimely at this Osteria.

But, this restaurant also serves up a dish where the red prawn isn't the star. Their cous cous is probably the best cous cous I've ever eaten. Not that I'm a cous cous expert, but I'm sure you'd find it pretty hard to find a cous cous dish better than this, especially if you love your seafood.

Fragrant, fluffy cous cous is paired with a rich, savoury seafood broth, topped with calamari and small red prawns deep fried to absolute perfection. Squeeze a little lemon on the fried seafood, and this completes the dish. Really, really good.

I couldn't praise this restaurant more highly; not only is the food sublime, but the service is impeccable. Combine this with a modern interior, relaxed atmosphere and very reasonable prices, this is probably my top recommendation in the whole of Western Sicily.

Osteria La Bettolaccia

Via Gen. Enrico Fardella, 23/25, 91100 Trapani TP

Hours: Mon – Fri 12 – 13pm, 8 – 11pm; Sat – Sun 12 – 3pm, 8 – 11.30pm

http://www.labettolaccia.it