Prawn cake

For many of us, the thought of a savoury cake is a surprising one, but in reality the pastis de gambes is simply a layering of different vegetables, eggs and fish. The secret when eating it in the summer is to let it cool down completely once cooked and then serve in slices. At other times of the year, you may prefer to eat it while still partly warm.

Ingredients (for four people)

- 250g beans

- 1 medium potato

- 200g spinach leaves

- 1 large onion

- 2-3 cloves of garlic

- 1 large courgette

- 4 eggs

- small cup of milk

- 200g fish (eg hake or similar)
 

- 100g peeled small prawns

- salt and pepper

- olive oil

- mayonnaise

- handful of cooked prawns, cherry tomatoes, olives (to garnish)

Boil the beans and the potato in salted water—make sure you cut the potato into large pieces so that later it is easy to separate the two. Either boil the spinach separately or steam it in the microwave. While the vegetables are cooking, make a sofregit by slicing the onion into small pieces and then frying it; when the onion is slightly golden add the garlic, also sliced. Once the sofregit is done (ie. the onion and garlic are well-coloured and soft), divide it into four portions (one for each vegetable). In the same frying-pan, add the courgette, cut into small cubes, with a dash of oil and salt and let it fry for a short while. Add one portion of the sofregit then put to one side. In a bowl, beat one of the eggs with a quarter part of the milk and then stir in the courgette. In three separate bowls, repeat this process three times, with first the beans, then the potato and then the spinach. Next take a cake mould (loaf-of-bread style, rather than a round one) and rub olive oil all around the inside using a small piece of aluminium foil, then layer the vegetables: first the spinach, then the potato, then the beans. Follow this by the fish (having previously cut it into small slices and removed all the bones and skin) and prawns. Finally put the courgette on top and place the mould in a bain-marie and leave for 45 minutes. Once cooked, let cool and then turn out the ‘cake’ from the mould. Let it get totally cold and then top with mayonnaise and garnish as required; for instance add some extra prawns, slices of cherry tomatoes or olives.