Harusame Prawns with Wasabi Mayonnaise

Shell the prawns, leaving the tail on. De-vein them and dry well on paper towels. Combine the flour and togarashi in a shallow bowl. Beat the egg whites until frothy but not stiff. Place the noodles in a plastic bag and using sharp scissors cut them into 1 cm lengths. The bag prevents the noodles flying everywhere. Tip them into a shallow bowl.

Put enough oil into a wok or saucepan for deep frying the prawns. Heat the oil to 170ºC. It’s a good idea to use a thermometer. Dust the prawns with flour then dip in the egg whites then the noodles. Drop 1 or 2 at a time, into the hot oil, and cook until a pale golden colour. The noodles will puff up dramatically. Drain on paper towels. Whisk the egg white before dipping each batch of prawns.

Wasabi mayonnaise: Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste.

Pile the prawns up on a plate and serve with the wasabi mayonnaise. Serves 4

Ichimi togarashi: Japanese ground chilli, available at Japanese and some Asian food stores.

Harusame noodles: often labelled as Dry Starch Noodle – a Japanese noodle made from potato and corn starch. Available from Japanese food stores