Get cooking with shellfish
Lobster’s less pricey cousins, prawn and crayfish, are no less tasty so get cooking with these crustaceans in new ways.
FRIED PRAWN BALLS
350g prawn meat
1 tsp salt
1 egg white
1 tbsp finely diced carrot 1 tbsp chopped spring onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder 1–2 tbsp tapioca flour
(combined) 1 tbsp chopped red chilli 3 bird’s eye chillies, chopped 2 tbsp diced coriander stems 3 shallots, thinly sliced 1 heaped tbsp chopped garlic 2 tbsp calamansi lime juice 2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce sugar to taste
Put prawns in a mixing bowl. Add in salt. Use the palm of your hand to stir and mix well.
Transfer prawns to a colander and rinse well under running tap water. Drain and place prawns in a plastic container and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Transfer prawns to a chopping board and mash with the blade of a Chinese chopping knife (cleaver) then chop briefly.
Place chopped prawn meat in a big mixing bowl. Add in egg white and mix 8 large prawns
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped 6 dried pitted prunes 3 tbsp tomato ketchup 100ml water
1 tomato, cut into wedges 2 stalks spring onion, cut into sections
(combined) 1 tbsp light soy sauce with a pair of chopsticks. Stir well in one direction until prawn meat turns sticky. Add seasoning and mix well.
Scoop up the mixture and slap it against the sides of the bowl to give it a bouncy texture. Add carrot and spring onion to the prawn mixture. Stir to mix well.
Wet the palm and scoop up a fistful of the prawn mixture. Close fingers around the paste and squeeze to extrude the paste through your thumb and index finger. It will form a ball of prawn paste.
Scoop up the ball with a wet metal spoon and place the prawn ball on a plate.
Repeat process to make more prawn balls. When the plate is filled, cover it with cling film and place in the refrigerator to chill for half an hour.
Heat oil in a wok till 75% hot and add in prawn balls. Deep-fry over low heat till prawn balls turn golden. Remove to drain on paper towels. Serve on fried wonton wrappers or fucuk with the dipping sauce.
STIR-FRIED PRAWNS WITH FRUITY SAUCE
1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp salt
Trim the prawns of feelers and sharp edges. Add in combined marinade ingredients and season for about 25 minutes.
Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in a wok and pan-fry prawns till fairly cooked (80% cooked). Dish out and set aside.
Put oil and sesame oil in a clean wok, add in garlic. Sauté briefly. Add in the prunes.
Stir in tomato ketchup and pour in water. Stir to mix well then cook to a rolling, quick boil.
Put in prawns and toss well to combine. Add tomato and spring onion. Cook till gravy is reduced.
Serve at once.
3 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic