Ginger Jar Food

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

Coconut & black pepper prawns with mango & apple salad in nahm jim

This dish is a brilliant way to get your fix of hot, salty, sweet ‘n sour. Succulently sweet king prawns (use the biggest and best you can find) are dipped in egg white then rolled in grated coconut, freshly ground black pepper and some sea salt, then deep or shallow fried. The black pepper gives a sharp heat against the sweet coconut, but the extra element comes from a little salsa-ey salad made up of mango, apple and baby herbs, tossed in nahm jim, a Thai dressing incorporating chilli, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar.

Serves 4 as a bowl food

INGREDIENTS
4 very large king prawns, or 8 medium sized
200g grated coconut
1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper
A generous pinch of sea salt
2 egg whites
Vegetable oil to fry – choose if you are shallow frying (in which case you’ll need a centimetre in the bottom of a frying pan) or deep frying

For the mango & apple salad
1 small mango, peeled and diced into 0.5cm cubes
1 small sharp apple, such as a granny smith, peeled and diced into 0.5cm cubes
1 inch of fresh ginger, finely diced
1 small bunch of coriander, leaves picked (reserve the stalks for the nahm jim), or a handful of micro coriander leaves, available from specialist green grocers
In the picture above we have also used micro red amaranth, also available from specialist green grocers

To make the nahm jim: 
The juice of a lime
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of palm sugar
1 red chilli, seed removed and finely diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
The stalks of the coriander bunch, above, finely chopped

METHOD

1. First make the salad: Mix together the nahm jim ingredients and lightly dress the salad ingredients, except the coriander leaves, which should be added at the last minute.
   
2. To make the coconut & black pepper prawns: Mix together the coconut, black pepper and salt on a plate. Whisk the egg whites and dip the prawns in them before rolling the prawns in the coconut mixture. Heat your oil for shallow or deep frying, and fry until cooked through, crisp and lightly golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
3. To serve: Add the coriander leaves to the salad then place a mound in the middle of a small plate. Top with your prawn(s) and a few more leaves.

ENJOY!

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