Bang Bang Shrimp/Prawns with Mango Salsa

Michelle Davies — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 16:14:48 +0000

Bang Bang Prawns served with a Mango Salsa. Shot by A and O Studios.

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.

Bang Bang Prawns served in Taco Shells. Shot by A and O Studios.

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!

Thai Style King Prawn Curry

Michelle Davies — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 12:56:53 +0000

Pan-Asian food is basically my kryptonite. At some point I plan on travelling through various countries in Asia and just eating & sleeping my way through the duration of the trip.

Styled by Michelle Marbie Davies | Captured by A&O Studios

The flavour combinations are just incredible; from the rich spices of an Indian curry, to the juxtaposition of sweet & sour in Thai food – you really can’t go wrong.

I’m not sure where the love began but I fully embrace it and enjoy eating out at amazing restaurant who really pack those flavours into dishes in an authentic way. My go-to is usually a curry, especially one that is coconut based and when I can’t go out to eat somewhere, I’ll try to recreate that experience for myself at home.

Styled by Michelle Marbie Davies | Captured by A&O Studios

There’s some dishes that I’m yet to nail and believe should be kept pure, like a Penang curry or a Peshwari Naan, but some other things can be at the mercy of my creative license – haha! Which brings me to my Thai (Style) King Prawn Curry. It’s my take on a dish I love, well a range of dishes – basically any coconut based curry!

A few important things to note are;

I use coconut cream. Not ‘creamed coconut’ – that rock hard stuff. And also not coconut milk, although you can substitute if need be. But I really wanted something rich and creamy so the actual cream (thick & creamy substance usually in a carton) is what I went for.
Huge prawns are key! I hate looking for prawns in a prawn dish. Like really, why must we get those tiny prawns that disappear? The bag of prawns I buy are cleaned and frozen. A tad pricey at £15 a bag (approx 20 pieces) but I love the quality! But fresh prawns are a must – they can be frozen but never pre-cooked.
Don’t overcook your prawns! You want to add them at a point when they don’t need to sit in whatever you’re making & overcook. Make sure you keep an eye on them and turn the heat off before they reduce to nothing, or become tough & chewy – which is what happens to seafood when you overcook it. Prawns really don’t need a long time to cook. To make sure they maintain their appearance/size, you need to cook them for the least amount of time possible. As long as they change colour from the grey to the pink shade – you’re ok!
Fresh herbs make a huge difference. As always, but in this case some fresh coriander will elevate the whole dish. Don’t skip this!

Styled by Michelle Marbie Davies | Captured by A&O Studios

That’s it for now. Enjoy this quick and easy recipe that will come in handy on school nights, weekends, or whenever you just want an amazing flavour packed dish!

Love,

Marbie

Thai Style King Prawn Curry

Quick and easy coconut prawn curry, packed with exceptional flavour!

800 g King Prawns (defrosted)
1 Large Red Onion (cut into quarters)
3 Red Romano Peppers (cut into quarters)
1-2 Scotch Bonnet Peppers (cut into half)
3 bulbs Garlic (peeled)
Knob of Ginger (peeled)
Handful of Fresh Coriander
2 tbsp Thai 7 Spice
Chicken Stock Pot ((Knorr))
2 carton Coconut Cream ((not creamed coconut))
Handful of Craisins ((optional))
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 Kaffir Lime Leaves
1/2 Fresh Lime

Combine the Onion, Peppers, Scotch Bonnet, Garlic, Ginger, Fresh Coriander, Olive Oil (2tbsp), in a food processor and blitz until almost smooth.
Heat the wok (medium- high heat), then add 2 tbsp of Olive Oil and then add the pepper mixture.
Stir for a few minutes on medium heat until cooked down, then add Thai 7 Spice & Chicken Stock Pot. (no need to dilute the stock pot in hot water)
Add Prawns and stir for 1 minute.(Prawns won't be fully cooked)
Add coconut cream & kaffir lime leaves and stir. Allow to cook for five minutes until prawns are fully pink and sauce has reduced.
Add craisins if you have a sweet tooth like me. Otherwise top off with some more fresh coriander, squeeze fresh lime over the curry and enjoy.
Can be served with rice of your choice but basmati mixed in with some fresh coriander is a great option!

prawns – Marbie's Kitchen

Bang Bang Shrimp/Prawns with Mango Salsa

Bang Bang Prawns/Shrimp with Mango Salsa

Prawns

Batter/Coating

Sauce

Mango Salsa

Prawns

Batter/Coating

Sauce

Mango Salsa

Thai Style King Prawn Curry

Thai Style King Prawn Curry