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Honey Prawns

This dish is about 2 things – the batter and the sauce. Both are relatively simple. The finished dish can be served with crispy noodles, Singapore style noodles, boiled rice or a fried rice. I chose a simple fried rice using ingredients that I already had. I try to avoid deep frying at home because of the expense of the oil, the invariable mess from the greasy vapours and also the possible dangers of handling hot oil. So take care.
Print Recipe
Servings: 2 serves
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 150 g frozen green prawns tail off, thawed (half of 300g pkt)
  • sprinkle of sea salt
  • 60 ml rice wine
  • 60 g ½ cup cornflour
  • 40 g gluten free flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • tiny drop of yellow colour optional
  • ¾ cup cold soda water scant
  • 1 litre canola oil
  • 140 ml honey
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 10 g sesame seeds
  • 1 spring onion washed, trimmed, cut into diagonal slices

Method
 

  1. Assemble ingredients
  2. Drain the prawns of any ‘thaw water’
  3. Marinate the prawns in a little sea salt and 10ml of rice wine, cover and chill while you do a little more prep
  4. Combine 40g of the corn flour, gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, 10ml of the rice wine, yellow colour the soda water
  5. Mix well to form a reasonably thick batter. Keep chilled
  6. In a small saucepan combine the honey, soy sauce and remaining rice wine. You will heat this later
  7. Pour the oil into a suitably sized saucepan – one that will give you an oil ‘depth’ of around 8cm
  8. Gently heat the oil to around 175c. If you don’t have a thermometer test the temperature with a little of the batter. When dropped in the batter should almost immediately start cooking and returning to the surface of the oil
  9. Drain the prawns of marinade and pat dry
  10. With the remaining corn flour, dust the prawns
  11. Coat them in batter before gently dropping them in the hot oil, one by one
  12. You should be able to fit half the prawns in the saucepan
  13. Adjust the temperature to suit
  14. Fry the prawns for about 40 seconds, gently stirring/turning them with a slotted metal spoon
  15. Take the prawns out and place on absorbent kitchen paper
  16. Repeat the cooking/draining process with the remaining prawns
  17. At this point start heat the honey mix. Bring to boil before turning the heat down to a slow simmer
  18. Make sure the oil has returned to temperature before adding the prawns to the oil a second and final time. Fry for about 1 minute until they are crispy. Drain the prawns.
  19. In a heatproof mixing bowl add the drained prawns, sesame seeds, spring onions and hot honey mix.
  20. Toss/ mix to ensure a liberal even coating
  21. Serve

Notes

The first fry is called ‘flash frying’. It is a common practice in restaurants and takeaways
The cooked batter will be relatively pale (without the drop of yellow colour) but I prefer the pale colour.
Keep in mind the honey mix will impart an amber colour