Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

I really enjoy prawns as a starter but fancy making something with prawns as a main course. What would chef suggest?

Sarah Robertson, Keswick

PRAWNS are a very versatile product and are quick to prepare and quick to cook. I prefer to use large raw prawns on the shell; ask for them at your local fishmongers. I do love my Oriental food so I am going to suggest prawns with soba noodles and broccoli. For two people you will need about 600g of raw, shell on prawns. Peel the prawns and give them a quick wash. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat and are a traditional Japanese noodle. Boil the noodles in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, drain, then refresh in cold water. Finely chop 2 peeled cloves of garlic, then add to a large frying pan with 50ml olive oil. Cook the prawns over a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add some small broccoli florets and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the noodles, give a good toss and add 50ml soy sauce, 50ml mirin, a small handful of chopped coriander and 2 de-seeded freshly chopped red chilli. Serve straight away.