An icon of modern Australian cuisine, Adam Liaw has been a regular fixture on our screens for over a decade, featuring often in the pages of Selector. This fresh recipe, a zesty spin on a seafood classic, is a textbook match for the poised acidity and ele

Salt and pepper Moreton Bay bugs

Serves 6 as part of a shared meal Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

2L canola or sunflower oil, for

deep-frying

100g potato flour

125ml chilled soda water

2 egg whites

6 raw Moreton Bay bugs, peeled, intestinal tract removed, halved lengthways

2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled

and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 2 long red chillies, thinly sliced

on an angle

2 spring onions, thinly sliced on

an angle

1 tsp sea salt flakes 1 tsp freshly ground black

peppercorns

1 tsp roasted macadamia nuts

(optional)

1. Half-fill a large wok with the oil and heat to 175°C.

2. Place the potato flour in a large bowl. Whisk in the soda water until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy, then add to the potato flour mixture and whisk until combined.

3. In two batches, dip the bugs into the batter, allowing any excess to drain off. Deep-fry the bugs for about 3 minutes, or until light golden and almost cooked through. Drain well on a wire rack set inside a tray.

4. Remove the oil from the wok, leaving about 1 tablespoon, and reheat the wok over medium–high heat. Add the ginger, then the garlic, chilli and spring onion. Toss until well combined and fragrant.

5. Return the bugs to the wok and toss to combine. Add the sea salt flakes and pepper, tossing the bugs until they are well coated. Transfer the bug mixture to a platter. Serve immediately, using a rasp grater to grate the nuts over, if using.

Note: To extract the meat from the raw bugs, insert your thumb into the notch between the head and the tail and, grasping the tail, twist to remove it. Hold the bug ‘belly’ of the shell up in your hand and squeeze firmly to crack the ‘ribs’ of the shell, then placing your thumbs along the ‘ribs’, break open the tail and remove the meat.