Vietnamese Green Rice Crusted Prawns with Lettuce, Herbs and Ginger Chilli Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

8 10/15cm green prawn cutlets

Fish sauce

Rice flour

Vietnamese green rice flakes (com dep xanh)

8 iceberg lettuce leaves

½ bunch coriander, washed

½ bunch Thai basil, picked

½ bunch Vietnamese mint, washed

Batter

½ cup tapioca flour

¼ cup rice flour

Water to make it the consistency of thickened cream

Ginger chilli dipping sauce

10g ginger, peeled & chopped

½ birds eye chilli, sliced

50ml lime juice

50ml rice vinegar

25ml fish sauce

2 tsp palm sugar

Method:

For the prawns, cut the tendons on the bottom of the prawn then turn over and press the prawn from the top with your palm to flatten, and therefore break the remaining tendons, in order for the prawn to remain flat once cooked.

Toss the prawns with a little fish sauce to season. One by one dip the prawns into the rice flour, then batter, then coat liberally with the rice flakes and press them into the batter to stick well.

Place the prawns in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper and reserve in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the batter to set.

To make the dressing, blitz all ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Heat a saucepan of vegetable oil to 180°C (or until a wooden chopstick has lots of fine bubbles coming from it when dipped into the oil). Cook the prawns in batches of 4 at a time for approximately 2-3 minutes or until the rice flakes have puffed up and are crisp. Drain on paper towel then season lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining prawns.

Serve the prawns with the lettuce leaves, herbs and a ramekin of the sauce in the side.