Butter-poached prawns coming to Vancouver's Spot Prawn Festival

For acclaimed Vancouver chefKaranSuri, a good dish stands out long before it reaches your taste buds.

"We eat with our eyes first,so the presentation is an important part of cooking," Suri told host Gloria Macarenko on CBC's Our Vancouver.

The Northern India-born chef hasworkedin some of the most acclaimed kitchens in the world, including India'sLeela Palace, and is currentlytheexecutivechef of the ARC restaurant at theFairmontWaterfront.

But on May 13, you won't have to go to a fine dining restaurantto get a taste of his dishes.Suri will be putting his prawn cooking skills to the test at the annualSpot Prawn Festivalat the False Creek Fishermen's Wharf.

Butter-poached prawns

The annual event celebrates the beginning of the spot prawn harvesting season,and attendees get tasting prawns that are fresh off the boat. The event is hosted by theChef's Table Society, a collective of culinary professionals committed to sustainable and quality cooking.

"It's local, tastes great, and it's sustainable."

When Suri prepares his prawn dish, he channels his international experience. He saidhe incorporatesNorth African flavours into his dish, usingseasoning paste made from paprika, tomato paste, cumin, fresh tomatoes, and some curry leaves.

The prawns are butter poached.

"We [don't]really cook the spot prawns for too long, so they are still nice and meaty and juicy" he said.

The acclaimed chefmarinates the spot prawnswith the spice paste, and then places them in a bed of wild greens to brighten up their appearance.

And he takes the aesthetics a step further. He even uses a special culinary turntable on which he places the serving plate, making it easier for him to decorate each dish.

"If you have a turntable at home, you know what to do with it now," Suri joked.

With files from CBC's Our Vancouver