Recipe: Thai Prawn Salad

Method

1. Remove the top from the chilli, cut a small amount off and taste to determine its heat. De-seed and finely chop the chilli into a petit brunoise. Place into a medium-sized bowl.
2. Peel and grate the ginger.
3. Crush the garlic.
4. Zest one of the limes and extract the juice from the 2 limes.
5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with 2 tsp warm water, mix to dissolve, then add along with the fish sauce, lime juice, crushed garlic, ginger and chilli.  Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust the flavour balance using extra sugar for sweetness, lime juice for acidity, fish sauce for salty notes and ginger and/or chilli for fiery heat.
6. Add the cooked prawns to the dressing and put in the fridge to marinate, while you prepare the salad ingredients.
7. Separate the baby gem lettuce leaves, wash well and spin dry.
8. Pile up the washed and dried baby gem leaves and finely shred. Place into a large bowl.
9. Peel half a mango, slice evenly down the length to a thickness of ½-¾ cm. Cut these slices into strips and finally into cubes. Carefully place the mango cubes onto the shredded lettuce.
10. Peel 4 strips of the darker green peel from the cucumber (so that it alternates from dark green to light green all the way around), before cutting in half down the length, use a teaspoon to deseed and slice the cucumber or slice on an angle. Add to the salad ingredients.
11. Remove the root and top (if necessary) from the spring onion. Cut in half down the length (if it is a particularly large spring onion), then finely slice on an angle. Add to the bowl.
12. Halve the cherry tomatoes through the equator and place into the bowl of salad ingredients.
13. Pick the mint leaves, reserve a few for garnish, then carefully pile the remaining and finely chiffonade.
14. Reserve a few sprigs of coriander for garnish. Gather the coriander including the stalks and roughly chop.
15. Roughly chop the peanuts, reserve a few for garnish and add the rest into the bowl of prepared ingredients. Alternatively, you can use crispy shallots or garlic.
16. Taste the dressing with a lettuce leaf and make any final adjustments.  Remove the majority of the prawns using a slotted spoon (reserving a few for garnish) and add them into the bowl with the salad ingredients.  Add some dressing and gently toss to combine.  If more dressing is required, add accordingly.
17. Carefully pile into a serving dish, allowing it to fall naturally. Thoughtfully arrange the garnish to finish the plating.