Fact: Shrimp and Prawns are Low in Cholesterol

(Video courtesy of Fox News.)

Lauren Farms: A Part of the "Mississippi Yearning" Tour!

A group of chefs and restaurateurs from all across the United States are expected to tour Lauren Farms Freshwater Prawn farm in Leland, Miss., on Tuesday. Hailing from eleven states and also Canada, the group is traveling across the Delta on a “Mississippi Yearning” tour. The food enthusiasts will travel to Lauren Farms for a day of freshwater prawn education that includes a guided tour of the freshwater prawn hatchery, and a cooking demonstration by chef Dolores Fratesi.

Fratesi is excited to meet the guests and spread the word about the freshwater prawn to other markets.

“This is such an exciting opportunity for Lauren Farms. I am honored to be included on the “Mississippi Yearning” tour, and honored to have a chance to meet these chefs and fellow ‘foodies’,” Fratesi said.

But what excites Fratesi most is an opportunity to educate others on the freshwater prawn.

“I feel like I have a treasure here in Mississippi – a wonderfully delicious and sustainable seafood right here in my backyard. It’s exciting for me when I get to share the prawn with others who appreciate who good food.”

For more information on freshwater prawns, log on to laurenfarms.com.

Another Recipe: Perfect for Weekend Grilling!

Bacon Wrapped Lauren Farms Freshwater Prawns with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

20 freshwater prawns, shelled (1 lb. jumbo yield 21-25 per pound)
½ pound bacon, partially cooked and cut in half
½ cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ ounce Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Bamboo skewers (3 to 5 prawns per skewer)

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 20-30 minutes. Cook bacon partially, cut in half, and let cool on a paper towel. Wrap bacon around prawns and skewer with bamboo keeping bacon together.

Combine all ingredients in blender, except bacon and prawns, and puree. Separate the sauce in half, one half for basting and one for dipping.

Cook bacon wrapped prawns on grill over medium heat basting with chipotle sauce.

To cook indoors and/or without skewers, secure each prawn and bacon with a toothpick. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet lined with foil. Baste and broil until done.

Lauren Farms Freshwater Prawn Lasagna Roll-Ups

Here's another good one!

Freshwater Prawn Lasagna Roll-Ups

This recipe can easily be halved. Read the entire recipe before preparing.

8 Lasagna Noodles
2 jars (15 oz.) of Alfredo Sauce, divided (to cover roll-ups and reserve ½ cup for topping with sautéed prawns)
2 lbs. freshwater prawns peeled, divided (½ lb. chopped raw prawns in roll-ups, 1 ½ lb. cooked prawns in topping sauce)

For the filling:

15 ounces ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ lb. chopped raw prawns

For the topping:

1 ½ lb. prawns
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Magic seasoning (or Old Bay)

Cook the noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain and place in cool water. Gently pat dry when making roll-ups.

To make the filling, combine the ricotta, parmesan, garlic powder, egg, and parsley in a medium-sized bowl, and stir to mix well. Add the raw, chopped prawns and the mozzarella, and stir to mix. Set aside.

Coat a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray. To assemble the prawn roll-ups, arrange the noodles on a flat surface and spread 1/8 of the filling mixture along the length of each noodle. Roll each noodle up (loosely) jelly-roll style and place in the prepared dish, seam side down. Pour the Alfredo sauce over the roll-ups. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated throughout.

For the topping, season the prawns with the Redfish Magic. Sauté’ the prawns in a small amount of butter until done. Do not overcook. Remove from heat. Before serving, warm ½ cup Alfredo sauce and melt ½ cup mozzarella. Add sautéed prawns to sauce and divide to top each roll-up.

You can change up the types of cheese for a different flavor.

Lauren Farms Prawn Asparagus and Pesto Fettuccine

I apologize for the lack of blogging lately! Life in the freshwater prawn world has been very busy. We are right in the middle of hatching baby prawns for our new 2009 crop. It's very time consuming, but exciting at the same time! These days, I spend most of my time looking at PH levels in steamy green houses!

Anyway, onto the food! Here's a new recipe we recently tried and loved. Enjoy!


Lauren Farms Freshwater Prawn Asparagus and Pesto Fettuccine

• 8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup sliced jarred roasted red peppers (or 1 large fresh red pepper sliced and sauted)
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto (look for Classico basil pesto in the spaghetti sauce section)
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound raw prawns, peeled
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Freshly ground pepper and Kosher salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add asparagus and continue cooking until the pasta and asparagus are just tender, about 3 minutes more. Reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the fettuccine and asparagus and return to the pot. Stir in peppers and pesto. Cover to keep warm.

Season prawns with fresh ground pepper, Kosher salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add prawns and cook, stirring occasionally, until just done, about 2 minutes per side. Remove prawns and add wine, increase heat to high and continue cooking until the wine is reduced to about 1/2. Add the prawns and wine mixture to the pasta, toss to coat, and add the reserved cooking water as needed. Season with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.