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Prawn lettuce cups

Prawn lettuce cups
Prepare
less than 30 mins
Cook
less than 10 mins
Serve
Serves 4

These lettuce cups are full of crunchiness from the deep-fried vermicelli and saltiness from the toasted peanuts.

By Mandy Yin

From Saturday Kitchen

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Ingredients

For the sambal

  • 2 tbsp saeu-jeot salted krill, squeezed to drain the brine
  • 5 red chillies, seeds removed and roughly chopped
  • 40g/1½oz red onion, roughly chopped
  • ½ lime, juice only

For the prawn lettuce cups

  • vegetable oil, for deep frying
  • few strands rice vermicelli (optional)
  • pinch salt
  • 150–175g/5½–6oz cocktail prawns, cooked and peeled
  • 8 large Baby Gem lettuce leaves
  • 4 lychees from a tin, drained and cut in half
  • 2 tbsp lightly salted peanuts, toasted (optional)
  • fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Method

  1. For the sambal, pulse all of the ingredients together in a food processor or a blender until everything is finely chopped. Set aside.

  2. For the prawn lettuce cups, if using the rice vermicelli heat 4cm/1½in oil in a large deep saucepan. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) The oil is hot enough when a quick, steady stream of bubbles rises around a single wooden chopstick when held upright in the oil. Drop in the rice vermicelli and they will magically puff up, becoming a crispy hot mess. Transfer to drain on kitchen towels using a slotted spoon. Sprinkle lightly with the salt while still warm. Once cool, break up into smaller strands.

  3. Mix the sambal with the prawns just before assembling the cups, to keep the sambal as punchy as possible.

  4. To assemble the cups, take the lettuce leaves and put half a lychee on top of each, cut-side down. Divide the prawn mixture between the lettuce cups.

  5. Pound the peanuts, if using, in a pestle and mortar to a rough rubble. Add to each lettuce cup.

  6. Finally, garnish with a nice mound of crispy rice vermicelli for crunch and coriander leaves for freshness. Serve immediately.