Salt and Pepper Prawns
A delicious and authentic street food and snacks recipe for Salt and Pepper Prawns, prepared with traditional seasonings and techniques.
Ingredients
- • 1 lb prawns (peeled and deveined)
- • 1/2 cup cornflour
- • 1/4 teaspoon salt
- • 1/2 teaspoon salt
- • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper ((*Footnote 1))
- • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- • 2 red chile peppers (sliced (Optional))
Preparation Steps
Dry the prawns thoroughly with paper towels.
Mix the salt and cornflour in a plate or tray. Add the prawns. Mix everything together until all the prawns are lightly coated in the cornflour.
Make the pepper salt by mixing the salt and white pepper together in a small bowl.
Heat 1/4” (1/2 cm) of oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 375 °F (190 °C). If you do not have a thermometer, drop a tiny pinch of cornflour into the oil. You should see small bubbles rapidly forming around the cornflour. (*Footnote 2)
Line a baking tray with a wire rack.
Add the prawns one at a time into the pan in a single layer. Use your fingers to grab the tail of the prawns, shake off the extra cornflour, and gently lay the prawns into the oil. You might need to cook the prawns in batches. Cook each side for about 2 minutes, until the surface turns pale golden and the prawns are curled. Once done, transfer the cooked prawns onto the lined baking sheet to drain the extra oil.
Once all the prawns are done cooking, pour the extra oil into a ceramic bowl and only leave about 2 teaspoons of oil in the pan.
Add the garlic and chile peppers into the pan. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
Add the prawns and sprinkle the salt and pepper mixture over them. Toss until the prawns are evenly coated.
Transfer everything to a plate and serve hot as an appetizer or over steamed rice as a main dish.