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a plate with Prawn Salad with fried eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, garlic chips, tomatoes and greens

Prawn Salad with Fried Eggplant, Shiitakes and Basil

A delicious savory salad featuring fried prawns, eggplant, shiitakes, cherry tomatoes and garlic chips with soy, sesame and citrus dressing.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

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.