Smashed Prawn, Turmeric, Coconut and Betel Leaf - Chef Recipe by Scott Pickett

Ingredients

12 King prawns
200g turmeric curry paste
10g palm sugar
50mL fish sauce
250mL coconut milk
200mL fish stock
12 pieces diced Winter melon
10 betel leaves
1 mandarin, cut in half and grilled
20g coconut oil
50mL vegetable oil
5 small pieces dried chilli
5 lime leaves

Turmeric curry paste:

80g turmeric
150g shallots
20g coriander root
150g garlic
70g galangal
10g green Thai scud chillies
70g lemongrass
10g cumin seeds
10g white pepper
5g sea salt
5g turmeric powder

Method

Clean King prawns and de-vein, keep shells to make prawn oil.

Break prawn shells and put into a saucepan with vegetable oil, cook until fragrant. Add a small dried chilli and fry in prawn oil until crispy, but not burnt.

Turn heat off and remove fried chilli. Keep aside.

Fry lime leaf and keep aside, while still infusing prawn shell in the oil.

Toast cumin, then grind with white pepper in a mortar and pestle, mix with salt and turmeric powder.

Pound, or blend all ingredients of curry paste in food processer, then add the spice mix into the paste.

Blanch Winter melon in boiling water with some salt until cooked, remove from water and rest aside.

Cook curry paste with coconut oil until fragrant and making sure the curry paste is cooked.

Deglaze with 30mL of fish sauce, keep the rest for seasoning later.

Add palm sugar, then caramelise but do not burn.

Add coconut milk and stock into curry.

Add prawns, until cooked, then add shredded betel leaf and cooked Winter melon into curry.

Taste and season to taste.

Place curry in a serving bowl, garnish with prawn oil, dried chilli, fried lime leaf, chopped lemongrass and coconut cream.

Serve with grilled mandarin.

Recipe provided by Longrain