STEAMED PRAWN & PEAR SALAD

STEAMED PRAWN & PEAR SALAD

Make the most of the apples and pears readily available at supermarkets and fruit shops this month. Here’s a selection of recipes from Tru-Cape you’ll want to try

INGREDIENTS

For the prawn marinade/paste:

  • handful fresh basil leaves
  • handful fresh coriander leaves
  • 1 clove fresh garlic
  • 3cm peeled fresh ginger
  • 2 stalks fresh lemon grass
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1T palm sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 fresh chilli, finely sliced
  • 1t fish sauce
  • 1t sesame oil
  • 24 large peeled prawn tails, skins in tact

For the lime dressing:

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3 red chillies
  • 2T palm sugar
  • 2T fish sauce
  • 1t grated lime zest
  • juice of 3 fresh limes
  • 6 firm Beurre Bosc pears

METHOD

To make the prawn marinade/paste:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in a pestle & mortar or food processor (except for the prawns).
  2. Mix the prawns with the paste, then steam them in a basket or colander until just cooked (about 5 minutes). When cooked, immediately remove from the heat and leave to cool, uncovered.

To make the lime dressing:

  1. Mix the garlic and chillies in a pestle & mortar. Add the palm sugar and fish sauce and grind to a paste.
  2. Add the lime juice and zest and mix. Taste and adjust the quantities of lime, palm sugar and fish sauce to suit your palate.
  3. Finely slice the pears, removing the cores. Toss in the lime dressing to prevent browning. Set aside.

To serve:

  1. Pile the dressed pear slivers onto 6 plates and top with steamed prawns.

(This recipe serves 6 people)