Wasabi lime prawns

Vic Williams | 6th March 2010

One splendid side-effect of our city's increasing internationalism is the ready availability of ingredients that once required a wide-ranging search.

This week's dish uses two Japanese imports, wasabi (green horseradish) and panko, which are deliciously crunchy breadcrumbs.

The latter may well have no English writing on their packet. A photograph of a crumbed prawn provides a clue on at least one brand, but if you don't spot that you'll have to ask for help. If you spot a jar of the rarer New Zealand wasabi grab it, but use it sparingly. It's hotter than the Japanese version.

The mayonnaise can be made in a blender or food processor, but there's something magical about preparing it by hand. If it doesn't thicken, start with a fresh egg yolk and whisk the split mixture into it.

12-20 prawns,  preferably uncooked
3 eggs
1 cup plain flour
1 cup Japanese panko (breadcrumbs)
3cm length wasabi, squeezed from a tube
2cm length tomato paste, squeezed from a tube
three-quarters of a cup grapeseed oil
6 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
juice of half a lime, or more to taste
2 acid-free tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
vegetable oil for frying
salad greens
2 tsps white wine vinegar
salt and pepper

If using uncooked prawns in the shell, add them to a large pot of boiling water and cook just until pink, then drain. When cool enough to handle, pull off and discard the heads, legs and shells, then run a sharp knife down the back of each one to remove the dark intestinal tract.

Break one egg into a shallow bowl, then place the yolks of the remaining two in a warmed bowl. Add the whites to the whole egg and beat lightly with a fork. Pour the flour and panko on a plate and dip the prawns first in the flour, then the beaten egg and, finally, the panko. Put aside.

Add wasabi and tomato pastes to the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Drizzle in grapeseed oil, drop by drop, then in a very thin stream until mayonnaise thickens. Finally, stir in three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and lime juice. Fold in diced tomato.

Heat vegetable oil in a frypan and cook prawns until golden-brown. Drain on paper towels. Toss washed salad leaves in a dressing made by mixing the wine vinegar with remaining extra-virgin olive oil and seasonings. Arrange the prawns on one side of a plate and drizzle wasabi/lime mayonnaise over them. Serve with the green salad.

Serves 4 as entree

Wine match

From Central Otago, Hawkshead Riesling 2009 ($22-$24) has floral-edged lemon rind aromas, a faintly oily texture and a flavour that brings dried mandarins to mind. Fresh, crisp and just off-dry, it is a perfect match for this dish.