Aromatic Tiger Prawns

Ingredients

• 16 raw tiger prawns (jumbo shrimp)
• 12 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 5 peppercorns
• 1 star anise
• broken into pieces
• 1 cinnamon stick
• broken into pieces
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• minced
• 34 inch piece ginger
• peeled and finely chopped
• 1 shallot
• chopped
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• salt
• pepper
• lime slice
• green onion
• chopped

Instructions

1. Peel the prawns, but leave tails intact.
2. Cut along the back and remove the dark vein.
3. Thread the prawns in pairs on 8 small skewers.
4. Heat a heavy frying pan, add the chili powder, fennel seeds, peppercorns, start anise and cinnamon sticks and dry-fry for 1-2 minutes to release the flavours.
5. Leave to cool, then grind coarsely in a grinder or tip into a mortar and crush with pestle.
6. Heat the peanut oil in a shallow pan, add the garlic, ginger and chopped shallot and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until very lightly colored.
7. Add crushed spices, season with salt and pepper and the cook the mixture gently for 5 minutes.
8. Add rice vinegar and brown sugar, stir until dissolved, and then add the prawns.
9. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until they turn pink, but are still juicy.
10. Serve hot and garnish with lime wedges and green onion.