Guest chef: Luke Nguyen Thai prawn salad

Hot-and-sour salads like this are at the heart of Thai cuisine. Adjust chilli and lime to suit yourself.

Chargrilled spicy prawn salad (Goong pla). Picture: Alan Benson

Hot-and-sour salads like this are at the heart of Thai cuisine and here, prawns are the star. At Mit Ko Yuan on Dinso Road, Bangkok, they use gorgeously fresh king prawns served in their charred shells, undercooked so the flesh is butter-soft and ridiculously sweet. If you’re dubious about underdone prawns, remember the acid from the dressing keeps cooking them once they’re off the heat. Balance the chilli and lime to suit your taste. If you’d rather remove the heads before cooking, save them in the freezer to make prawn stock – the basis of a delicious home-made tom yum soup.

Chargrilled spicy prawn salad (goong pla)

500g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined, heads and tails intact

1 tablespoon Thai roasted red chilli paste*

1 handful coriander sprigs, torn

1 handful mint leaves

1 handful Thai basil leaves

4 kaffir lime (makrut) leaves, finely sliced

4cm lemongrass stalk, white part only, very finely sliced

4 red Asian shallots, finely sliced*

Dressing

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons Thai roasted red chilli paste*

3-5 bird’s eye chillies, sliced

Put prawns in a mixing bowl, add chilli paste; stir to coat them well. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue chargrill to medium-high. Cook prawns for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Add prawns to a mixing bowl with coriander, mint, Thai basil, sliced kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, shallots and dressing. Toss well, transfer to a plate and serve. Serves 4–6 as part of a shared meal.

*Available at Asian food stores and some supermarkets

Prawn head stock

1kg large raw prawn heads

1 large leek, trimmed and sliced into large chunks

2 garlic cloves

2cm piece fresh ginger, sliced

1 kaffir lime leaf (makrut)

½ bunch coriander, stems and roots only

Place prawn heads in large saucepan with 2 litres of water; boil. Skim off any impurities; add remaining ingredients. Return to boil, reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and allow to cool. Refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze. Makes 2 litres

Luke Nguyen. Picture: Tara Croser

Recipes and image from Street Food Asia by Luke Nguyen (Hardie Grant Books, $60).