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Sichuan Sweet & Sour Prawns
This is a version of the Northern Chinese dish Guō Bāo Ròu, which coats the prawns in potato flour, before layering on a sweet and sour paste which is absorbed by the coating to make a deliciously sweet and sour crispy coating.
From Ching-He Huang, waitrose.com
1 egg
100g/31/2oz potato flour or cornflour
2 tablespoons water
600ml/1 pint groundnut (peanut) oil plus 1 tablespoon
12 large raw tiger prawns, head and shell off, tail on, and deveined
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5cm/1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2 medium red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 spring onions, chopped at an angle into 2.5cm/1 inch long pieces
1 small handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
steamed jasmine rice and deep-fried vegetables (optional; see Ching’s Tip) to serve
For the sauce
200ml/7fl oz hot water
5 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornflour
Put all the ingredients for the sauce into a bowl and stir to combine, then set aside.
Put the egg, potato flour or cornflour and the water into a bowl, and mix to make a batter. Set aside.
Heat a wok over a high heat and add 600ml/1 pint groundnut oil. Heat the oil to 180ºC/375ºF, or until a cube of bread dropped in turns golden brown in 15 seconds and floats to the surface.
Dip each prawn into the batter, then lower one by one into the oil and cook until they turn golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the oil and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
Heat a small wok and add 1 tablespoon groundnut oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies and stir-fry for a few more seconds, then add the sauce and bring to the boil. Add the lime juice, spring onions and coriander and remove from the heat.
Place the prawns on a plate, pour the delicious sauce over them and serve immediately as a starter or with jasmine rice and deep-fried vegetables as a shared main course.
