Kitchen Craft Episode 26: Pickled prawns

What could be better for Easter than a delicious platter of hot cross buns, served with your own homemade pickled prawns? Chef Clem shows you how.

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Pickled prawns

  • Serves 6–8
  • Preparation 20 minutes
  • Cooking 45 minutes

For the pickle:

  • 3 T Woolies Cape Malay Curry Spice Mix 
  • 2 t ground turmeric 
  • 1 T black peppercorns 
  • 1 T coriander seeds
  • 3 green chillies, split through the middle 
  • 8 bay leaves
  • ¾ cup sugar 
  • 750 ml brown vinegar
  • 5 onions, sliced into rings
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 T corn flour

For the prawns:

  • 500 g freshly frozen uncooked extra large black tiger prawns, thawed
  • 2 cups of self raising flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 2 T Woolies Cape Malay Curry Spice Mix 
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 cups of water, or enough to form the thick batter
  • Oil to shallow fry 
  • To serve: hot cross buns 

Method:

  1. Add the spice mix, turmeric, peppercorns, coriander seeds and green chillies to a large pot along with the bay leaves, sugar and vinegar. Place over medium heat and gently simmer.
  2. Separate the onion rings and add it to the pickling liquid. Cook for 20 minutes, allowing the flavours to marry and the onions to cook until soft and translucent. 
  3. While the pickle is cooking, prepare the prawns by removing the shells. For the batter, combine the flour with the spice mix, salt and pepper and the iced water to form a thick pancake-like batter.
  4. Heat the oil for shallow frying. Dust the prawns with some flour before dipping them in the batter, coating them well. Carefully place the prawns in the oil and fry for 2 minutes or until the batter forms a crust and just begins to brown. Turn over and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on absorbent kitchen paper. Repeat this process with the remaining prawns. 
  5. At this point, the onions and pickle should be ready. Add some of the pickling liquid to the cornflour in a separate bowl and mix to form a slurry. Add the slurry to the pickling liquid to thicken it slightly, which will help it coat the battered prawns.
  6. Add the prawns to the pickle and gently fold through to combine. Scoop into a large serving dish and allow to cool before serving. 
  • Unlike pickled fish, this dish can be made a few hours before serving instead of days before. Both are perfectly paired with hot cross buns. 

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