Szechuan Pepper Salt Prawns Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare pepper-salt: In a small saute pan over medium heat, toast Szechuan and white peppercorns for about 3 minutes, shaking the pan. They will smoke and pop like popcorn, but don't let them burn. Let cool, then coarsely grind the pepper in a spice mill, and combine with salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Place cornstarch in a medium bowl. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large saute pan over high heat until it is just short of smoking. Toss prawns in the cornstarch, and remove excess by shaking coated prawns in a sieve. Add prawns to the wok, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing a few times to cook through on both sides. With a large spatula, hold the prawns in place, tip the wok, and pour off and discard the excess oil. Add garlic, minced chile, and pepper-salt mixture. Return the wok to the heat, and toss prawns with the spices until spices release their fragrance and coat the shells, about 1 minute.

Steps:

• Heat a wok over a high heat. Add the groundnut oil and, when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the ginger, garlic and spring onions. Stir-fry for 20 secs, then add the prawns. Stir-fry for about 1 min, then add all the sauce ingredients, along with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Continue to stir-fry for another 3 mins over a high heat. Serve at once, scattered with the coriander and spring onion.

Steps:

• First, make the dipping sauce. Crush the garlic, coriander and chilli using a pestle and mortar. (If you don't have one, just finely chop.) Pound in the sugar until dissolved, then add the lime juice and fish sauce. It should taste sweet, salty and spicy.
• To make the spice mix, toast the Sichuan and black peppercorns in a frying pan over a medium heat for 1 min or until fragrant. Finely grind in a spice mill or using a pestle and mortar, then add the salt and chilli flakes and mix together. Transfer to a bowl.
• Combine the spice mix with the cornflour. Heat 7.5cm of oil in a large wok or deep heavy-based saucepan. You can test the temperature by frying a small piece of bread - it should sizzle instantly and take 20 secs to turn golden. Toss the prawns with the spice mix, shake off the excess and deep-fry, in batches, for 1-2 mins or until crisp at the edges and starting to curl. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a baking tray lined with kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the remaining prawns. Scatter over the pea shoots or salad leaves, if you like, and serve with the dipping sauce.

Steps:

• To make pepper-salt: In a small saute pan over medium heat, toast the Sichuan and white peppercorns, shaking the pan, for about 3 minutes.
• Do not let them burn.
• They may smoke and pop like popcorn; this is OK.
• Remove the pan from the heat; set aside to cool slightly.
• In a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the peppercorns.
• Transfer to a bowl and combine with the salt.
• Set aside.
• To make shrimp: In a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot but not smoking.
• Working quickly, in a bowl, toss the shrimp in the cornstarch and remove the excess cornstarch by shaking the coated shrimp in a sieve or strainer.
• Add the shrimp to the wok and cook, tossing a few times to cook through on both sides, for 2 to 3 minutes.
• With a large spatula or other implement, hold the shrimp in place, tip the wok and very carefully pour off and discard the excess oil.
• Add the garlic, chili pepper and pepper-salt mixture.
• Return the wok to the heat and toss the shrimp with the spice mixture until the spices release their fragrance and coat the shrimp, about 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat.
• A step ahead: The pepper-salt can be made a week or more ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.