If you are lucky enough to have a fishmonger nearby who can supply you with raw fresh Mediterranean prawns then these would be ideal for this dish. If not frozen tiger prawns size 8/12 or 6/8 would work for this dish. Using smaller prawns would have less of an impact and also be more fiddly to deep fry. You can serve this dish as a starter or a main.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Fresh tiger prawns
- 2 Tablespoons of light soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil
- 100g Cornflour, for dusting
- ½ Teaspoon of ground white pepper
- 1 Tablespoon of sherry or brandy (optional)
- 4 Cups of vegetable oil for deep frying
Dipping sauce
Optional Garnish
- Red chilli, finely sliced
- Cucumber, sliced
- Spring onion, finely sliced
- Sprig of coriander leaves
Serves 5-6
Preparation
Prepare the tiger prawns by removing the head and shell but leave the tail on – for presentation purposes. Make a slit on the back and remove the black intestinal tract.
Marinade the prepared prawns with sesame oil, light soy sauce, white pepper and sherry or brandy, if used and leave for 20-30 minutes. Do not leave to marinade for too long as the marinade will cook the prawns. Roll the prawns in cornflour until well coated.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or deep fryer until it starts to smoke. Drop 4-5 prawns into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan as adding too many prawns into hot oil will reduce the temperature and your prawns will not be crispy.
Cook the prawns until they are golden brown and transfer onto kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Continue until all the prawns are cooked.
Transfer all the prawns onto individual starter plates garnished with salad leaves, cucumber and tomatoes and a sprig of coriander leaves.
Serve with Nonya Secrets Sweet Chilli Sauce.
