Honey Prawns - stays crispy for ages!
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(23)
Ingredients
4 servings
- 300g/ 10oz prawns/shrimp (, peeled with tail on (600g/1.2lb whole unpeeled) (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp kosher/cooking salt (halve for table salt)
- 1/2 cup cornflour/cornstarch
- 9 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch (Note 2)
- 6 tbsp flour (, plain/all-purpose)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (NOT baking soda)
- 1/2 tsp salt (, kosher/cooking (halve for table salt)
- 2/3 cup + 1 tbsp COLD soda water, club soda or seltzer water (NOT sparkling mineral water, Note 3)
- 3 - 4 cups vegetable or canola oil (~4cm / 1.5" depth in a pot)
- 1/3 cup (100g) honey
- 1.5 tbsp (25g) glucose OR corn syrup (light) (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (or all-purpose)
- 2 tsp Chinese cooking wine (or mirin)
- 25g / 2 oz Vermicelli rice noodles (optional) (, a wad of it (not mung bean noodles, it must be rice noodles)
- Sesame seeds, finely sliced green onions
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Preparation
Step 1
Season and dust prawns:
Step 2
Salt prawns: Mix prawns with salt. (Don't do this ahead, salt makes prawns sweat = compromise crispy coating!)
Step 3
Dust: Place 1/2 cup cornflour/cornstarch in a bowl. Dip prawn in, shake off excess then put on a plate. Repeat with all prawns.
Step 4
Cold batter and fry #1:
Step 5
Chill dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, cornflour/cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Place in fridge while oil heats up. (Helps keep batter cold, cold batter = crispier prawns)
Step 6
Heat oil: Fill small pot or large saucepan with 4cm / 1.7" oil. Heat to 160°C/320°F on medium high stove.
Step 7
Make cold batter: When the oil is near target temp, add soda water into the dry ingredients. Then do the minimum whisks to just combine (10 or so) - a few lumps ok, better than whisking too much (changes coating texture).
Step 8
Batter thickness: Should fully coat prawns easily, not be see-through, but not thick and heavy. See video at 38 seconds for cues. Use extra soda water 1 teaspoon at a time to achieve right thickness.
Step 9
Dredge: Holding a prawn by the tail, dip into the batter then hold up for a 2 seconds to let the excess batter drip off. Then carefully place in oil. Repeat with another 5 prawns (6 per batch).
Step 10
3 minutes Fry #1: Cook for 3 minutes until light golden and crispy. When you pick them up, you can tell it's very crispy.
Step 11
Drain and repeat: Place prawns on a tray with paper towels. Repeat with remaining prawns. I cook in 4 batches. Don't crowd the pot as it brings oil temperature down too much.
Step 12
Cool prawns for 20 minutes (Note 5). Meanwhile, make Sauce.
Step 13
Honey Sauce:
Step 14
Simmer: Place ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, turn down stove to medium low then leave to simmer for 3 minutes.
Step 15
Syrupy consistency: The consistency should be like maple syrup (see video). Turn off stove, place lid on to keep warm (when cool, it gets too thick to toss prawns in it).
Step 16
Fry #2 – for ultra-crispy!
Step 17
Heat oil to 200°C/390°F.
Step 18
3 minutes Fry #2: Place half the prawns in oil (you can crowd the pot for Fry #2). Cook for 3 minutes or until it changes from pale golden to very golden, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate. You can tell by touching that it's built-to-last crispy! More golden = crispier (but don't overcook the prawns!) Repeat with remaining prawns.
Step 19
Sauce and serve:
Step 20
Quickly toss: Transfer prawns to a metal bowl then pour over Honey Sauce. Quickly toss with rubber spatula to coat prawns in sauce. (Sauce starts thickening if you take too long, so be quick!)
Step 21
Garnish: Pile prawns over crispy rice noodles (if using), scatter with sesame seeds, green onion and serve!
Step 22
Puffy crispy rice noodles (optional):
Step 23
At any point while oil is hot, drop a wad of noodles into hot oil, wait 3 seconds until it puffs up, then remove with tongs.
Step 24
Drain on paper towels, place on plate. Top with prawns! (Note: Crispy noodles stays crispy "forever" so you can do this well ahead. Not for eating - is flavourless.)
Step 25
Save recipe for the next time?
