Prawn Salad Pla Gung Food

PRAWN SALAD (PLA GUNG)

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil and add lemon grass, lime leaves and coriander. Boil for five minutes.
• Drop in prawns and cook 1 minute. Remove and rinse under cold water.
• Combine lime juice, palm sugar, garlic, ginger and black pepper in a bowl. Mix to dissolve sugar.
• Pour dressing over prawns and toss to coat. Add green onions and mint leaves, toss to mix.

PLA GOONG (SPICY THAI SHRIMP SALAD)

Steps:

• Bring a pot of 3 quarts of water to a boil. (I like to salt the water like pasta water; Kanittanon does not add salt.)
• In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, nam prik pao and chopped chiles. Taste, and adjust with any of the ingredients, including salt. The sauce's flavor should be led by sourness and savoriness, but with a good balance of sweetness and heat.
• Cook the shrimp in the water until it just turns opaque, medium or medium-rare, about 1 minute. For better flavor, cook the shrimp with heads or shells on; peel when just cooled enough to handle.
• Add the shrimp to the sauce while still warm and toss; the lime will continue to "cook" the shrimp like a ceviche. Add the lemongrass, shallot, cilantro, mint leaves and makrut lime leaves, reserving a little of each herb for garnish. Toss, and place on a dish; scatter the reserved herbs on top. Serve immediately with hot rice.

PRAWN LAYERED SALAD

Steps:

• Boil the egg in a small pan of boiling water for 8 mins, drain and run under cold water until cool. Shell, then slice.
• Layer the salad in a bowl starting with the lettuce, then the sweetcorn, carrot, cucumber, egg and finish with the prawns. Mix the mayo and ketchup with a dash of Tabasco, then pour over the top. Serve with a lemon wedge, if you like.

PHLA PLA MEUK

Steps:

• Remove the inedible portions of the squid.
• Wash well.
• Score the flesh in a fish-scale pattern.
• Cut into pieces one inch wide and 2 inches long.
• Immerse the squid in boiling water until done.
• Drain.
• Mix the fish sauce and lime juice together.
• Add the lemon grass shallot, kaffir lime leaf and chillies.
• Stir very gently to avoid bruising.
• Add the squid gently in the sauce and then put the squid and sauce up on to a plate.

PRAWN COCKTAIL SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together. If it's a little thick, add a splash of water.
• Put the prawns, avocado, tomatoes, spring onions and lettuce in a large salad bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice, toss gently, then serve with the dressing handed round separately.