Before oil, the coast of Abu Dhabi lived from the sea, from pearling, fishing and trade, and seafood still runs through Emirati home cooking. Machboos, rice cooked in a spiced broth, is usually made with chicken or lamb inland, but along the coast it is often made with prawns, which turn sweet and tender in the saffron and dried lime rice. The shells, wisely, are never wasted: they make the stock.

It is quicker than the meat versions, since prawns need only minutes, and it looks splendid on a platter. Yas Marina Circuit sits on an island off the Abu Dhabi coast, so the sea is close enough to justify it.

Prawn shell stock

Ingredients

• shells and heads from the prawns
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil
• 5 cups (1.2 liters) water

The prawns

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) large shell on prawns
• 1 teaspoon bezar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon (14 g) ghee

The rice

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (28 g) ghee
• 2 onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon bezar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 loomi (dried black limes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups (400 g) basmati rice
• 3 cups (720 ml) prawn stock
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1 small handful cilantro

More from United Arab Emirates