Grilled eggplant salad with prawns
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 35 MINS (PLUS COOLING)
“This eggplant salad has to be my all-time favourite – again, so simple and so effective,” says Anderson. “There are a few steps to this, but you could easily make the elements ahead of time and assemble when you’re ready to eat. There are a few different variations on this salad, some with nam prik pao (Thai chilli jam), and while I love that too, this is a great version that can be easily made with few ingredients on hand, and perhaps a few soft herbs from the garden, and eaten just as quickly. The best way to grill the eggplant is over charcoal on a barbecue, but they can also be grilled in the oven or charred on a gas stove.” 2 large long green silken
Thai eggplant (see note) 2 large eggs, at room
temperature
5 king prawns, peeled, tails
intact and deveined
200 gm coarsely minced
chicken, preferably thigh 5 spring onions, thinly sliced 7 coriander stalks, cut into
1cm lengths
1 large red shallot, cut into julienne
Mint leaves and sliced red birdseye chilli, to serve 15 gm (¼ cup) dried shrimp, finely ground with a mortar and pestle
CHILLI-LIME DRESSING
2 tbsp lime juice
1½ tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp soft palm sugar ½ birdseye chilli, thinly sliced
1 Preheat a barbecue to medium. Grill eggplant, turning occasionally, until blackened and slightly yielding (20-30 minutes; skin should peel back without taking too much flesh and reveal a centre that’s a soft but intact, and smoky but not burnt). Cool, peel and slice horizontally into 5cm-thick pieces.
2 Meanwhile, cook eggs in a saucepan of boiling water until medium-soft (6½ minutes). Remove, cool completely in cold water, peel and halve.
3 For dressing, whisk lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Season to taste and add chilli.
4 Poach prawns in a saucepan of simmering water over medium heat until just translucent (1 minute). Remove with a slotted spoon, drain, and place in a large bowl. Add chicken to water and poach until cooked (3 minutes). Drain, separate with a fork and add to prawns. Add onion, coriander and shallot, and toss to combine.
5 Toss eggplant, prawns and chicken in a bowl with dressing, eggs, mint and chilli, and serve scattered with shrimp.
Note Green eggplant are available from Asian grocers; substitute purple Japanese eggplant.
Wine suggestion Golden, bottle-aged riesling.