Salads are among the most rewarding dishes when it comes to kitchen experiments! More often than not, you can put up an amazing plate with whatever happens to be sitting in your fridge. Take this prawn salad: it was created with leftover eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, a couple of pantry staples and a little magic with the dressing. The flavours blend beautifully together, and the salad has enough substance to be a dinenr option that is both delicious and filling.
The Flavour Affair:
Prawns + Eggplant + Shiitake + Garlic + Tomatoes + Ruccola + Basil + Soy + Sesame + Truffle + Citrus
This satisfying, savory combination has prominent notes of umami, subtle sweetness and an enlivening finish.
Prawns: you can use fresh or defrosted. Go for medium size peeled prawns – they are quick to cook yet still meaty.
Eggplant: I had a bit of a hassle with this one! Roasted eggplant doesn’t really work because it turns out too soft and mushy. Deep frying is the answer here. With its savory-sweet flavour, eggplant is crazy good with prawns – such an underrated pairing!
Shiitakes work great in this salad. Their juicy caps add a nice texture variety, and the subtle flavour with both sweet and umami notes goes very well with both eggplant and prawns.
Garlic: I made garlic chips for this recipe – my latest obsession. Garlic chips are awesome. Deep fried, they become crispy, a little salty, almost pickle-y, building more depth and complexity.
Tomatoes: a few cherry tomatoes add a pop of colour and their tart taste creates a nice contrast.
Ruccola contributes with a spicy, peppery taste.
Basil: fresh and herbaceous basil instantly enlivens our savory salad. At the same time, its sweet side complements the flavour profiles of the main ingredients, allowing it to blend in very naturally.
The dressing is soy sauce, sesame oil, truffle oil and a mix of orange and lemon juices. It creates a light citrus-y trail without being too sour, brings in more nuances of umami and a light toasted, earthy flavour. If you are up for a kick, add a pinch of red chili flakes.
Preparation Tips for Prawn Salad with Fried Eggplant, Shiitakes and Basil
- If you are using frozen prawns, put the bag into a bowl and place under cold running water for 15-20 minutes. Typically, this is enough time for them to thaw. I like medium size prawns, they cook fairly fast and are plump and meaty.
- A good trick is to cut the prawns lengthwise. During frying, they will curl, and the halves are perfect bite size.
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil to high. Add the prawns but don’t overcrowd the pan. I like to generously season them with granulated garlic – it creates a crunchy, golden coating.
- Clean the mushrooms and separate the caps. Squeeze the extra liquid out, season with salt and briefly fry or grill until they just brown.
- Garlic chips are easy to burn. Keep a close eye on them while frying and remove with a blotted spoon as soon as they reach medium golden color. Reserve the oil – we will use it for the eggplant.
- As for the eggplant, deep frying is the way to go. And if you first coat the pieces in flour mixed with salt, you’ll get a beautifully light, crispy coating. You can use thin long eggplant cut into chubby circles, or a regular one cut into wedges.
- To make the dressing, whisk together 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp orange juice, 1 tsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp truffle oil. Taste and if it calls for more acidity, add a few drops of white vinegar.
- To assemble, combine rocket leaves, eggplant, shiitakes, halved cherry tomatoes and prawns in a large bowl and gently toss with 3/4 of the dressing. Transfer to a serving dish and top with garlic chips and a handful of fresh basil leaves, then drizzle over the remaining dressing.
Serving Suggestions:
This salad is a great option for a dinner – the satisfying combo of prawns, eggplant and shiitakes will easily fill you up. Yet, you can always serve it as a fun starter, or a small plate for a tapas-style table. For a more of a statement presentation, use prawns with tails on and experiment with plating!
Bring more loaded salads into your menu with these Marinated Chicken Salad with Orange and Coriander, New Style Nicoise or Thai Beef Salad!
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Prawn Salad with Fried Eggplant, Shiitakes and Basil
Equipment
- 1 large pan
- 1 small sauce pan
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 16-20 large medium prawns cleaned and de-veined
- 2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 small eggplant cut into cubes or wedges
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 12-15 shiitake mushrooms caps only
- 3-4 garlic cloves thinly sliced across
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup ruccola leaves
- a handful of basil leaves
- 3 cups of vegetable oil divided
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp truffle oil
- Salt and white vinegar to taste
Instructions
- If using frozen prawns, thaw them under running water and pat dry. Slice lengthwise into halves (optional).
- Heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil to high in a large pan. Add the shiitake caps and fry for 2-3 minutes until browned. Season lightly with salt. Transfer onto a paper towel.
- Pour another 2 tbsp of cooking oil into the same pan. Add the prawns and season them with granulated garlic. Fry for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size, until they turn deep brown and are cooked through. Remove from the pan and let cool down to room temperature.
- In a saucepan, heat the remaining oil to medium. Add the garlic chips and deep fry for about a minute, until they turn light golden. Remove with a blotted spoon and place onto a paper towel. Reserve the oil.
- In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp of flour with 1 tsp of salt. Coat the eggplant pieces with the mixture.
- Heat the reserved oil to high and fry the eggplant in batches, for about 1-2 minutes, until the sides turn deep golden and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to drain excess oil and let cool.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of sesame oil, orange and lemon juices and 1 tsp of truffle oil. Taste and adjust for acidity. If you like it hot, add 1/2 tsp red chili flakes.
- In a large bowl, combine ruccola, prawns, shiitakes, eggplant and tomatoes. Gently toss with 3/4 of the dressing.
- Transfer the salad onto a serving plate. Top with garlic chips and basil leaves.
- Drizzle over the remaining dressing and finish off with a couple of grinds of mixed or black pepper mill.
Notes
- You can use thin long eggplant, which you can cut into chubby circles (about 2cm thick), or a regular eggplant cut into chunks or wedges.
- You can skip the flour, in this case the eggplant texture will be softer.
- Prawns can be fried a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
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