What I like most about summer are salads, cold soups and ice creams. That is why I always try to prepare a wide variety of all of them so that at home they do not get "bored" at mealtime. We can prepare an incredible assortment beyond the lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad. One of the latest preparations that has us totally hooked are these prawns with coconut batter and grapefruit salad . It is an authentic explosion of flavor and textures , very different from other types of salads that we usually consume.

I know that grapefruit is a somewhat difficult fruit to eat due to its particular flavor, but this recipe has a trick. I admit that grapefruit, raw, is very bitter. Although it is a very attractive fruit in terms of appearance and color, it is true that when it comes to consuming it, it is not very appetizing. That's why I decided to follow a recipe from a great chef that I greatly admire, Ottolengui . It is known worldwide by all of us, so there is no need to make a presentation of it.

This man has the ability to combine flavors in surprising ways, he is a kitchen alchemist. I have been able to verify it a thousand times preparing many of its recipes. This grapefruit salad is one of his creations, only I have changed two insignificant little details.

To make this salad, we must macerate the grapefruit in a mixture that combines rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, chili, anise and orange blossom water. Yes, I know, just reading it makes my eyes widen. I had never used orange blossom water for a salty preparation and, believe me, I will do it on more than one occasion. Provides a surprising floral aroma. Then we mix our salad leaves and sprouts with aromatic herbs, mango, seeds and nuts. And the grapefruit, of course. The result is a sensational dish, very refreshing and light.

To accompany the salad, we will prepare some battered prawns with grated coconut . Very similar to other fried prawn recipes, but not the classic " gabardine prawns " made with the classic " Orly pasta ". On this occasion, the outer batter is very crunchy, in addition to having a very particular flavor thanks to the grated coconut and coconut cream. I saw the recipe on the African Bites website, and I promise you that it will fascinate you!

These prawns can be served with the salad as they are and they would be great, but if we make a little Sriracha mayonnaise ... You will touch the sky! Of course, this last step is only for lovers of spicy. In case you don't like spicy sauces, maybe a mango jam or some kind of chutney would be better. The set of both elaborations is a perfect salad for these summer nights that we are having.

Bérard olive wood spoon and fork set

Ingredients for 2 people

Prawns battered with coconut

• 20 large prawns or prawns, raw
• 30g breadcrumbs
• 30g grated coconut
• 25g wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon of hot paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg L + 80 g coconut cream

Grapefruit and mango salad

• 2 grapefruits
• 1/2 mango, about 150 g (peeled and cleaned)
• mix of salad leaves; watercress, lamb's lettuce, oak leaf, baby spinach leaves...
• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
• 5 g fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 5 g fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 35-40 g honey peanuts, lightly mashed
• white sesame seeds to taste
• nigella seeds to taste
• olive oil
• 3-4 tablespoons of the grapefruit marinade
• a splash of lime juice
• salt to taste

Marinade (for the grapefruit)

• 70g rice vinegar
• 40 g light muscovado sugar, can be replaced by brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water
• 2 anise stars
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 dried red chili, halved and seeded

sriracha mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Sriracha sauce to taste

Elaboration

We prepare the marinade

1. In a saucepan , add the rice vinegar together with the sugar. Place over low heat and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely.
2. Remove from the heat and add the orange blossom water, anise, cinnamon, ginger and red chili.
3. We booked.

De Buyer Prim Appety Stainless Steel Saucepan

We prepare the grapefruit to marinate

1. Peel the grapefruits, remove all the white skin and cut the segments, making sure that there is no membrane at the ends. The pulp must remain in the air.
2. Cut each segment into 2-3 portions, depending on the size of the grapefruit, and incorporate it into a deep plate.
3. Pour the marinade over the grapefruit and let stand for 2 hours . If it is very hot, we can refrigerate it.

We prepare the prawns or prawns

1. We remove the heads, peel keeping the final part of the tail and remove the gut (black thread on the top of the loin).
2. In a bowl, beat the egg together with the coconut cream, set aside.
3. On the other hand, mix the flour together with the breadcrumbs, the grated coconut, the paprika and the salt in a deep dish or fountain. Mix well to achieve a homogeneous mixture.
4. We booked.

Dutch Rose "Irregular" Plates

Batter and fry the prawns

1. Dip the prawns in the egg and coconut cream mixture, drain slightly and coat in the breadcrumb and coconut mixture.
2. Place on a plate and repeat the same process with the rest of the prawns.
3. Pour olive oil in a frying pan, in my case I used the De Buyer sauté , enough to fry them.
4. Once it reaches 175 °C, we add 4-5 pieces in the oil. Fry until golden brown, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remember that we must do it on both sides. I recommend you not to cook them in excess to favor that when you bite them they are juicy and not hard and dry.
5. Remove from the oil and reserve.

De Buyer Prim Appety Stainless Steel Sauté

We assemble the salad

1. Drain the grapefruit, reserving the marinade liquid. Remove the cinnamon, anise, ginger and chili.
2. In a bowl or individual plate, we have a base of sprouts and salad leaves together with the chopped coriander and mint leaves.
3. Add the mango, cut into squares, along with the macerated grapefruit.
4. We add 2-3 tablespoons of the macerated liquid on top of the salad, if we have served it individually, or 3-4 if the salad is to share.
5. Drizzle with olive oil, the salad, a dash of lime juice and sprinkle with flaky salt. Mix lightly to distribute all the elements evenly.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, nigella and slightly mashed peanuts.
7. We accompany with the shrimp battered with coconut and a bowl with Sriracha mayonnaise.
8. We serve right away.

Grades

• The ideal is to use some good caliber prawns/prawns or prawns. In this way we will achieve an exquisite bite, as well as being very juicy.
• If you don't like coconut , you can omit it and just use the flour along with the breadcrumbs or panko. Although I recommend using it because the flavor and texture is formidable.
• We can use panko instead of breadcrumbs if we wish, the result is very good.
• To cover the prawns we will use coconut cream , which is thick, not the coconut milk that we find in bricks (vegetable drink).
• Do not exceed the cooking time of the prawns , otherwise they will be very dry. Proper cooking leaves us with prawns in the shape of a -C. If, on the contrary, we exceed the cooking time of these, by losing a lot of water, their appearance will be very similar to an -O.
• The prawns can be left prepared, battered, in advance and keep them refrigerated until the moment we go to fry them.
• To make the Sriracha mayonnaise , we will only have to mix both elements. I leave the amount of Sriracha to your choice so that you can adjust it to your tastes.
• The sprouts for the salad are totally your choice , use the ones you like the most and, if possible, with a different color range to make the dish more striking.
• The longer the grapefruit macerates , the more flavor it acquires and the better the final result will be.
• The seeds are optional , but recommended. You can always omit or vary them if you wish.
• Honey peanuts can be replaced by another nut of your choice. Ideally toasted or fried to provide greater flavor.
• To season the salad we can use olive oil or, if we prefer, sesame oil, avocado...
• Once we dress the salad, the leaves and shoots stay fresh/firm for a short time . I advise you to dress it just at the moment you are going to serve it.
• The prawns can be presented in the same bowl as the salad or, if we prefer, on a separate plate.

I can't wait for you to try these prawns with coconut batter and grapefruit salad and tell us what you think. From this moment on, you are going to fall in love with this fruit... You will see.

And of the prawns. Because, certainly, they are incredible no matter how we prepare them. But this batter is very exotic, as well as different and surprising. I hope you enjoy it very much!