‘Agitated’ Prawns

Serve this dish side by side with ‘agitated’ kidney flowers to give an interesting contrast in texture and colour as well as flavour.

1/2 lb (225 g) uncooked prawns
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
a few thin slices fresh ginger root, peeled
2 tsp sesame seed oil

If the prawns are frozen, make sure they are thoroughly thawed. Wash, shell and de-vein them, pat dry with kitchen paper or towel, then cut each prawn in half lengthways.

Bring about 2 pints (1 litre) of water to the boil in a saucepan, then add the prawns, stir and, as soon as they turn white, quickly scoop them out with a strainer and plunge them into a bowl of cold water for a few seconds. Drain well before placing them on a small serving dish.

Sprinkle the salt and wine evenly over the prawns, let it stand for a few minutes, then garnish with thinly shredded ginger root and sesame seed oil. Mix and toss just before serving.

© Deh-Ta Hsiung and reproduced with his kind permission.