Char-grilled Five Spice Prawns

Name: Char-grilled Five Spice Prawns
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 500g green prawns, peeled and deveined; Fresh herbs, for serving; Sweet Fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham), for serving; Steamed jasmine rice, for serving; ½ small brown onion, finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, finely minced; 1 kaffir lime leaf, thinly sliced; 2 teaspoons fish sauce; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 2 teaspoons vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon coconut cream; 1 teaspoon castor sugar; ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon pickled minced chilli

Char-grilled five spice prawns are a great filling for bánh xèo (Vietnamese rice flour crepes). They’re also great served simply with a platter of fresh herbs and leaves – such as perilla, Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, bean sprouts and lettuce – plus some steamed rice. Spiced prawns can be threaded onto skewers for a barbecue too. However you serve them, add some nuoc mam cham (see video below), the sweet fish sauce that accompanies every Vietnamese meal, for drizzling or dipping and try a glass of Olga Emmie off-dry riesling from Pikes alongside. You’ll find tips on storing prawns for maximum freshness here.

Serves 2

Ingredients

500g green prawns, peeled and deveined
Fresh herbs, for serving
Nuoc Mam Cham (Sweet Fish Sauce), for serving
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Pickled minced red chilli, for serving (optional)
Vietnamese pickled vegetables, for serving (optional)

Five-Spice Marinade

½ small brown onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 kaffir lime leaf, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon coconut cream
1 teaspoon castor sugar
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon pickled minced red chilli

Method

Make Five Spice Marinade: Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Cut prawns into bite-sized pieces.
Add to Marinade and stir to coat well.
Cover and set aside for 30–60 minutes (or refrigerate for longer).
Meanwhile, arrange herbs on a platter.
Pre-heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to medium–high heat.
Grill prawn pieces for a minute or 2, turning occasionally so they’re lightly-coloured all over and opaque almost all the way through, remember they’ll keep cooking in the residual heat after you remove them.
Transfer to a platter and serve with fresh herbs, Sweet Fish Sauce, rice and pickled minced chilli and/or Vietnamese pickled vegetables on the side.