Prawns with coconut batter and grapefruit salad

My favorite things about summer are salads, cold soups and ice cream. 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 lunchtime. We can prepare an incredible assortment beyond 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 well that grapefruit is a somewhat difficult fruit to eat due to its particular flavor, but this recipe has a trick. I recognize that grapefruit, plain, is very bitter. Although it is a very attractive fruit in terms of appearance and color, it is true that when it comes to eating it, it is not very appetizing. That's why I decided to follow a recipe from a great cook that I greatly admire, Ottolengui . It is known worldwide by all of us, so it is not necessary to carry out 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 by making many of his recipes. This grapefruit salad is one of his creations, only that I have varied two small insignificant details.

To make this salad, we must macerate the grapefruit in a mixture that combines rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, chili, aniseed, and orange blossom water. Yes, I know, just reading it, my eyes open wide. I had never used orange blossom water for a salty preparation and, believe me, I will do so 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 paste ". On this occasion, the outer batter is very crunchy, as well as 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 is and would be great, but if we make a little Sriracha mayonnaise ... You will touch heaven! Of course, this last step is only for lovers of spicy. In case you don't like hot sauces, maybe a mango jam or some kind of chutney would work better. The combination of both preparations is a perfect salad for these summer nights that we are having.

Bérard olive wood fork and spoon set

Ingredients for 2 people

Coconut battered prawns

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

Grapefruit and mango salad

• 2 grapefruits
• 1/2 mango, about 150 g (peeled and cleaned)
• salad leaf mix; 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
• 35-40g honey peanuts, slightly 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 brown sugar, can be substituted with brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• 2 anise stars
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 10g fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 dried red chile, halved and seeded

Sriracha Mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• Sriracha sauce to taste

Elaboration

We prepare the marinade

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

De Buyer Prim Appety Stainless Steel Saucepan

Prepare the grapefruit to marinate

1. Peel the grapefruit, 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 add it to a deep plate.
3. Pour the marinade over the grapefruit and let sit for 2 hours . If it is very hot, we can refrigerate it.

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 upper part of the loin).
2. In a bowl we beat the egg together with the coconut cream, reserve.
3. On the other hand, we mix the flour together with the breadcrumbs, grated coconut, paprika and salt in a deep plate or fountain. Mix well to achieve a homogeneous mixture.
4. We booked.

Dutch Rose "Irregular" Plates

Coat 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 De Buyer's sauté , enough quantity to be able 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 and 1/2 minutes. Remember that we must do it on both sides. I recommend you not to overcook them so that when you bite into 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 an individual bowl or plate, arrange 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. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the macerated liquid over the salad, if we have served it individually, or 3-4 if the salad is to be shared.
5. Drizzle with olive oil, the salad, a drizzle of lime juice and sprinkle with salt flakes. Mix lightly to distribute all the elements evenly.
6. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, the nigella and the slightly crushed peanuts.
7. Accompany with coconut battered prawns and a bowl of Sriracha mayonnaise.
8. We serve right away.

Grades

• The ideal is to use some prawns / king prawns or prawns of good caliber. In this way we will achieve an exquisite bite, as well as very juicy.
• If you don't like coconut , you can omit it and use only 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 dense, 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 C-shaped prawns. If, on the contrary, we exceed the cooking time for these, as they lose a lot of water, their appearance will be very similar to an -O.
• The prawns can be prepared, in batter, in advance and kept refrigerated until the moment we are going 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 range of color to make the dish more striking.
• The longer the grapefruit macerates , the more flavor it acquires and the better the final result will be.
• Seeds are optional , but recommended. You can always omit them or vary them if you wish.
• The honey peanuts can be replaced by another nut of your choice. Ideally roasted or fried to add more 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 sprouts remain fresh/firm for a short time . I advise you to season it just at the moment you are going to serve it.
• We can present the prawns 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'll 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!