Mimosas are a brunch cocktail made from combining orange juice and champagne. They are now widely available and known but their origins are shrouded in mystery. There is a possibility that they were first invented in the mid 1920s at the Ritz Paris, although the truth may be that a French bartender took the idea from a London club where they started the pouring the combination in the early 1920s, though with a stronger ratio and the name “Buck’s Fizz”. Whoever invented it did the whole world a favour. The sweetness of the oranges and lightness of champagne is a combination that works for food too and compliments the delicate flavour of prawns and other seafood nicely. Champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar if it’s not available, tastes of champagne but doesn’t have the bubbles and is easier to work with in the kitchen. It is available at several markets and higher end grocers but if you end up with leftover champagne you can leave it uncovered in a wide mouthed jar for a few weeks at room temperature and it will turn into vinegar instead of going to waste. I find that extra flavourful varieties of oranges like mandarins or tangerines are best with the champagne vinegar and they bring a bright burst of colour.
A dish like this comes together really quickly because prawns cook in only a few minutes. Browning some garlic in a skillet then adding the prawns in adds a lot of flavour for just 2 extra minutes. Any leftover cooked brown rice, other whole grain or cauliflower rice as a grain-free option bulk it up and add in some carbohydrates and fiber to make the lettuce cups more filling. Prawns are very high in B vitamins and iron for energy, along with protein, healthy fats and selenium, a mineral that acts as an antioxidant and can be hard to get in adequate quantities.
Here I used butter lettuce, a delicate, sweet and smooth leafy green deserving of its name. It also goes by Bibb or Boston lettuce and usually comes in a plastic clamshell with the roots still attached and knotted up. The soft, tender leaves are easily pliable, making them easy to wrap around the filling and they tear easily when you bite in so this makes for relatively not messy finger food.
- 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 lb raw prawns, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (use jasmine or basmati varieties for extra flavour)
- ¼ red onion, sliced very thinly
- 1 large mandarin orange, peeled and chopped
- 12 leaves of green butter lettuce
- Mimosa Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup orange juice (from 1 large mandarin orange)
- 1 T champagne vinegar
- 1 T cold-pressed olive oil
- 1 t dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (from the same mandarin orange as above- grate the zest off then juice it)
- Place the olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Once the oil is warmed up add in the garlic and sautée for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Add in the shrimp and stir occasionally for another 5-7 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through and turned pink.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the rice, onion, orange and vinaigrette and leave on the element for a minute or two until the rice warms up.
- Lay out the lettuce leaves and place a spoonful of the prawn mixture in each.
