The flaked, toasted almonds add an extra layer of flavour and texture to the prawns (shrimp). This is a ridiculously easy dish to put together taking no time to rustle up and with only a couple of specialist ingredients.
Ingredients
For the Wasabi Cream
- 3½ oz (100 g) Japanese mayonnaise
- 1¼ oz (25 g) wasabi paste
- 1 oz/4 tsp (25 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ tsp sea salt
For the Prawns (Shrimp)
- 12 large prawns (shrimp)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp caster (superfine) or granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
- sunflower oil, for deep-frying
- 3½ oz/¾ cup (100 g) katakuriko potato starch or cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp almonds, flaked and toasted
How to Make It
- Make the wasabi cream by mixing all the wasabi cream ingredients together in a bowl.
- Peel the prawns (shrimp), keeping their tails intact. Devein them by making a shallow incision lengthways in each prawn (shrimp), and, using a small knife or toothpick, pull out the stomach tract.
- Season the prawns (shrimp) with the salt, sugar, lemon juice and toasted sesame oil, if using. Leave to marinate for 15-30 minutes.
- In a pan, heat enough sunflower oil to deep-fry the prawns (shrimp) to 180°C (350°F).
- Meanwhile, remove the prawns (shrimp) from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper (paper towel). Coat the prawns (shrimp) lightly in katakuriko potato starch or cornflour (cornstarch), dip them into the egg white, and finally coat them again, this time a bit more generously, with katakuriko potato starch or cornflour (cornstarch).
- Deep-fry the prawns (shrimp) for about 1 minute or until lightly coloured, then transfer to a rack over a tray to drain the excess oil.
- Place the crispy prawns (shrimp) in a bowl, add the wasabi cream and gently turn them over in the cream to coat them completely while still hot. Sprinkle over the almonds and serve immediately.
