Prawn Rice Paper Parcels

, from Issue #33. September, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Prawn Rice Paper Parcels

INGREDIENTS

400 grams peeled raw prawns, tails on
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
2 cm piece ginger, finely grated
handful coriander leaves, chopped
handful mint leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon raw sugar
½ teaspoon cornflour
2-3 tablespoons peanut or sunflower oil
12-15 Vietnamese rice paper rounds (16 cm)
extra coriander leaves

METHOD

Set aside slightly more than half of the prawns (about 24). Remove the tails from the remainder, roughly chop the prawn meat and set aside. 

Place the spring onions, chilli, ginger, coriander, mint, soy, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a food processor and blend to combine. Add the chopped prawns and cornflour and pulse several times until the prawn meat is chopped more finely and the cornflour is combined. 

Dip a rice paper wrapper in warm water to just soften, then place on a piece of kitchen paper. Dab until dry then cut the rice paper in half. Put a coriander leaf in the centre of the straight edge and top with 1 whole prawn. Face the tail away from the wrapper. Place about ½ teaspoon of prawn mixture in the centre of the prawn then wrap one side of the rice paper tightly over and around the prawn.  Fold up the base and wrap the other side tightly around leaving the prawn tail poking out. Place on a plate and leave the rice paper to dry a little. Repeat with the remaining prawns.

Heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the prawns in batches, sealed side down first, for 2-3 minutes. Flip over and cook on the other side for a further 2 minutes or until golden and the prawn and its stuffing is cooked through.

Serve immediately with extra soy or sweet chilli dipping sauce. Alternatively cook the prawns for about 1 minute on either side to seal then transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Place in a preheated 180ºC oven for 8-10 minutes. Serve as before.  Makes approximately 24

Pantry note:
Vietnamese rice paper rounds are available from text to come text to come text to come text to come.