Tempura King Prawns with Vietnamese slaw + 2018 Logan Chardonnay.

I lived in Vietnam for 12 years, so this pairing brought back vivid memories of eating out on balmy Saigon nights.  

Tonight's summery seafood delight is Tempura King Prawns with Vietnamese slaw; accompanied by the 2018 Logan Chardonnay. 

Crisp, delicate and juicy prawns, perfectly balanced by the sweet; salty, spicy and sourness of the ‘Nuoc cham’ dressing on the slaw and the freshness and subtle butteriness of a young Chardonnay. My tastebuds were zinging and singing with every delectable crunch and sip. A little naughty, but nice enough to rid yourself of any guilt!

Here's the recipe: 

Ingredients: 

Prawns / batter:

- 12 large green ocean prawns. 

- 1/2 cup regular flour

- 1/2 cup potato starch

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- cold soda water

- 1 bowl iced water 

- Vegetable oil for deep frying

 

Salad: 

- 1 qtr red cabbage

- 1 half Chinese cabbage

- 1 Red onion

- Handful of Vietnamese mint

- 1 Carrot 

Dressing: 

- 1/2 cup Fish sauce

- 1 tsp Brown sugar 

- 1 red chilli finely chopped

- 1 tbsp water

- 1 clove finely chopped garlic

- 1 lime squeezed

 

Method: 

1. Peel & de-vein the prawns and put them into ice water for 30 mins; this will make them nice and bouncy.

2. Shred the cabbage and Vietnamese mint and finely slice the carrot & red onion; toss into a bowl. 

3. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together for the batter. 

4. Heat the oil in your deep fryer to temp.

5. Dip the prawns in the batter and gently place in the oil one by one. Cook until golden brown.

6. Combine the dressing ingredients into a container with a lid; shake and toss over salad. 

SERVE!