makes
10
prep
30 minutes
cook
10 minutes
difficulty
Mid
makes
10
serves
preparation
30
minutes
cooking
10
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
185 g (1¼ cups) plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 (about 200 g) baby taro, thickly peeled, grated
vegetable oil, to deep-fry
20 (about 300 g) peeled school prawns
coral lettuce leaves and coriander leaves, to serve
Dipping sauce
2 red bird’s-eye chillies, chopped
60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
3 tsp fish sauce
Instructions
To make the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside until needed.
Place the flour, 1 tsp salt and the bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour 185 ml water and egg into the well and whisk until smooth. Stir in taro.
Fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan one-third full with oil and heat over medium heat to 170°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 15 seconds). Dip a 60 ml metal ladle into oil until hot. Remove, then half-fill ladle with batter. Press 2 prawns into the top, then immerse ladle in the oil for 15 seconds. Using a metal spoon, carefully run spoon around edge of ladle to release cake into the oil. Cook, turning halfway, for a further 6 minutes or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Serve with dipping sauce, lettuce and coriander leaves.
As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 12, pg100
Photography by John Laurie
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
