A good salt-and-pepper prawn is a thing of beauty: salty, crispy, spicy. Serve these crisp-fried prawns with nahm jim mayonnaise for dipping and they will be a huge finger-food hit at your next party or weekend meal.
Salt & Pepper Prawns
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp sea salt
¼ cup plain flour
¼ cup rice flour
500g (1 lb) peeled and deveined prawns (shrimp)
vegetable oil for deep frying
lime wedges to serve
Nahm Jim mayonnaise:
3 cloves garlic
3 small birds’ eye chilles
½ long red chilli
2 tbsp sugar
1½ tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1 limes
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander stalks and leaves
½ cup mayonnaise
- For the nahm jim mayonnaise, use a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic and chillies to a rough paste. Then, using the pestle, stir in the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir through the coriander and mayonnaise. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Heat the peppercorns in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat until just smoking. Transfer to a mortar and use a pestle to grind to a fine powder. Stir in the salt.
- Heat enough oil in a wok or large heavy-based saucepan for deep frying. Check the oil is hot enough by dipping in a wooden spoon. When bubbles form around the spoon the oil is ready.
- Combine the plain and rice flours in a large bowl. Pat dry the prawns with paper towel. Then dredge in the flour and shake to remove any excess. Slide coated prawns into the oil and cook for about 3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel. While the prawns are warm, place them in a large bowl and toss with 1 tbsp of your salt and pepper mix. Serve with nahm jim mayonnaise.
