Bang Bang Shrimp/Prawns with Mango Salsa
I first encountered these beauties on a summer trip to New Jersey a few years ago and as someone who rarely eats prawns, I was surprised at how smitten I was. They were crispy with amazing texture from the coating but also had a nice balance provided by the sriracha based dressing.
Over the years, I’ve served it for others who have also come to love it especially when served with a simple mango salsa which adds a nice refreshing element to the dish.
This works well as a starter dish when you have guests over, served in a small bowl or perhaps a martini glass. It can also be served as tacos for something fun, or you can pretend it’s healthy by making it into a buddha bowl style dish.
The main things that make a difference for me with this dish are;
- Ensuring you have big juicy prawns – trust me, the bigger the better. They curl up and shrink in size once fried so make sure you start with a good enough size.
- Using Panko breadcrumbs where possible. I actually like having a mix of this with either plain flour or cornstarch for extra crunch.
- Don’t fry the prawns for too long – just until they are nice and golden.
- Make your dressing/sauce in a separate bowl so you can taste without ruining the prawns if it isn’t right.
- Add a little dressing to start with and then keep on adding more if needed. The trick is to make sure you don’t put so much on that you end up drenching the nice crisp prawns into a mushy state.
Enjoy!
Bang Bang Prawns/Shrimp with Mango Salsa
Crispy jumbo prawns, coated in a sweet sriracha based sauce. Served with a refreshing mango salsa.
Prawns
- 1 bag Jumbo King Prawns
- 2 tbsp Chinese five spice
- 1 tbsp Salt/All purpose seasoning
- 5 cups Groundnut/Sunflower/Canola Oil
Batter/Coating
- 4 eggs (whisked)
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Plain flour/Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Chinese five spice
- Pinch of salt
Sauce
- 1/4 cup Sriracha Sauce
- 1/8 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
Mango Salsa
- 1 cup Chopped Mangoes
- 1 Shallot (chopped finely)
- 1 Fresh Red Chilli (chopped finely)
- 1 handful Fresh Coriander/Cilantro
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 lime
Prawns
Rinse your prawns and pat dry with a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture, then place in a bowl.
Add 2 tbsp of chinese five spice and salt/all purpose to the bowl and combine.
Batter/Coating
Combine the panko breadcrumbs, flour and/or cornstarch with 1 tbsp of chinese five spice.
Coat the prawns by dipping each one in the whisked eggs and then into the flour breadcrumb mixture. Repeat this for an extra crunchy coating.
Lay each prawn on a tray lined with parchment paper to avoid sticking after coating it.
Allow your oil to get really hot, then fry until golden. Try not to add too many prawns at once so they can cook evenly and to ensure the temperature of your oil doesn't drop.
Place the fried prawns in a bowl with kitchen towel/tissue and set aside.
Sauce
Add the sriracha sauce, honey and mayonnaise to a bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk to combine.
Pour the sauce a little at a time over the prawns and combine carefully so the prawns don't fall apart. You can choose to add more or less sauced based on your preference.
You can enjoy as it is at this stage or serve with a delicious mango salsa below in tacos, or in a buddha bowl.
Mango Salsa
Add the chopped mango, shallots and chillies to a bowl and stir.
Add the coriander/cilantro, a pinch of salt and the juice of a lime then stir to combine.
All that's left to do is enjoy the deliciousness! Serve alongside the prawns in taco shells or in a buddha bowl or simply as an appetiser with just the salsa and prawns in a bowl!