Hong Kong-style Drunken Prawns

Hong Kong-style Drunken Prawns
© Johannes Kernmayer, Lena Staal

Hong Kong-style Drunken Prawns

Spiced with chilli and ginger, this dish is lip-tinglingly good and quick to cook once the initial prep is done. This recipe is made with frozen prawns but if you are able to get fresh tiger prawns, all the better.

Severin Corti

Ingredients
24 medium tiger prawns, with heads (thawed if frozen)
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 handful garlic, finely chopped
10–12 dried, bird's eye chillies
600 ml mijiu (Chinese rice wine)
1 tablespoon(s) sugar
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
1 handful coriander leaves, chopped, to garnish

Preparation:

  • Score the prawns along their backs with a sharp knife so that the intestine (which looks like a dark vein) is exposed. Clean under cold running water and pat dry.
  • Marinate the prawns in a bowl with the rice wine for 30 minutes.
  • Heat the oil in a wok and fry the ginger and garlic over a gentle heat.
  • Lift the prawns out of the marinade, increase the heat to high and add the prawns and chillies to the wok.
  • Fry, stirring, for 1 minute over maximum heat, then add the rice wine marinade.
  • Cook for 1 minute then season with salt, sugar and pepper. Serve piping sprinkled with coriander.
Severin Corti
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