Jono & Jules do food & wine

We’ve had limited success with prawn cakes in the past, they often fall apart. These are grilled which makes things much easier and the peanut chilli sauce is amazing!

Wine Suggestion: these call for a vibrant, youthful white like Weingut Korrell’s Weißer Burgunder (Pinot Blanc) which was full of charming pear and apple flavours with a zesty citrus twist that complemented the limes and fish sauce a treat.

Prawn cakes with peanut chilli sauce – serves 4 as a starter

• 2 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
• 3 cm piece of fresh ginger
• a handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 3 small Thai shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 long red chilli, diced
• 400g raw peeled prawns
• zest of 2 limes
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tsp vegetable oil
• chilled iceberg lettuce, to serve

FOR THE PEANUT CHILLI SAUCE:

• 100g caster sugar
• 100ml rice vinegar
• 2 red chillies, diced
• 2 tbsp peanuts, toasted, finely chopped
• 2 small Thai shallots, chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp coriander

Put the palm or brown sugar into a small frying pan with 1 tbsp of water. Mix together and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat.

To make the peanut chilli sauce, boil the sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely, then add the chilli, peanuts, shallot, fish sauce and coriander.

To make the cakes, put the ginger, coriander, shallot and chilli in a food processor and blend until fine. Add the prawns, lime zest and fish sauce and pulse until combined, keep it chunky. Season with plenty of black pepper.

Put a little oil on your hands, then form the prawn mixture into 16 flat cakes. Put in the fridge until ready to cook.

Preheat the grill. Brush both sides of the prawn cakes with a tiny bit of oil then put on a rack on top of a baking tray.

Grill the cakes for 1 minute, then brush the tops with the palm sugar syrup. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until opaque, there is no need to turn. Serve warm with the chilled lettuce leaves and peanut chilli sauce.

(Original recipe from My Asian Kitchen by Jennifer Joyce, Murdoch Books, 2018.)