Tempura king prawns with sweet chili & lime dipping sauce

There's something so sexy about pulling something warm out of the kitchen. Especially on a first date. Stilettos and frilly apron optional....

Ingredients (makes 25 praws)
vegetable oil for deep frying
25 king prawns, peeled with shells intact and deveined

For the tempura batter:
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups ice soda water (seltzer)
1 3/4 cups flour, sifted
salt and white pepper
For the dipping sauce :
fresh coriander
1 cup sweet-chili thai sauce
1 fresh lime (juice)

Using cold water (about 40F) is a must. This keeps the batter from becoming sticky.
Sticky batter results in oily tempura!

Beat the egg and mix with water gradually and stir possibly using chopsticks.
Add flour, stir briefly; that is well enough to coat but leave the lumps and bumps. Season with salt and pepper.
Dip prawns into the batter and deep fry (max 3 at a time) until they turn curl and golden. To fry, use a large pan with a half-inch oil (or more if necessary) and heat on high.
Drain on paper towels.

Magic touch :
serve the prawns on a platter folded by banana leaves (normally available in Asian grocery stores)

Read more ...

Read more

Pasta Sfoglia Ripiena (Stuffed puff pastry)

Easy, quick and perfect for the "carnivorous". It can be served with some crunchy steamed vegetable on a side or with mash potatos.
Ingredients:

2 pre-rolled puff pastry sheets
1 Kg ground seasoned italian sausage

olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 cup ground Provola (or gouda cheese)

1 cup ragout sauce (your own recipe)
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven 180 degrees celsius.

Golden the onion in olive oil and stir fry with the sausage, adjusting with salt and pepper.

Add ragout sauce, let the mix thicken, cool down and set aside.

Unroll the lower layer of pastry out on a baking tray (usually pastry comes interleaved with plastic, which I leave on as baking sheet.)*

Spread ground sausage mixture on pastry to form a flat rectangle, then sprinkle the ground provola cheese on top, leaving some room for the folding edges of pastry.

Unroll the upper layer of pastry and place on top of the ground sausage mixture.

Trim and seal edges carefully.

Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 20 minutes.

Let cool and cut in large squared portions. Best served warm

* Beware that puff pastry needs to be kept refrigerated and unrolled chilled. By doing so, you will prevent excessive softening of the texture.

Read more ...

Read more