Crunchy salt and pepper prawns with sweet chilli syrup
MAKES 30 PREP AND COOK TIME 45 MINUTES (+ STANDING TIME)
30 (800g) uncooked medium prawns ¾ cup (55g) Japanese breadcrumbs (panko) 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns 1½ teaspoons piri piri seasoning 2 teaspoons sea salt flakes 1 egg white, beaten lightly vegetable oil, to deep-fry 1 fresh long red chilli, sliced thinly 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
SWEET CHILLI SYRUP
½ cup (110g) white sugar ½ cup (125ml) water ¼ cup (80g) sweet chilli sauce 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn 1cm (5g) piece fresh ginger, sliced thinly 2 fresh coriander roots and stems, washed, sliced thinly
1 SWEET CHILLI SYRUP
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan; stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat. Leave to stand for 15 minutes, then discard the lime leaves. 2 Shell and de-vein the prawns, leaving the tails intact. 3 Combine the crumbs, pepper, seasoning and salt in a small bowl. Holding prawns by the tail, dip one at a time into egg white, then coat in crumb mixture. 4 Fill a large saucepan or deep fryer one-third full with oil; heat to 180°C or until a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds. Deep-fry the prawns, in batches, for 1 minute or until cooked through and crisp. Drain on a paper towel. 5 Sprinkle the prawns with the chilli and the coriander leaves and serve with the Sweet Chilli Syrup for dipping.