To Make
To make the prawn paste, finely mince the prawns with a butchers knife. Once there are no large chunks of prawn left and it resembles a paste, add into a bowl.
In the bowl, add in the garlic, ginger, spring onion, coriander, Lee Kum Kee premium soy sauce and sesame oil and mix to combine.
Cut the crusts off of bread slices and spread an even amount of paste on each slice, gently pressing the paste down into the bread to adhere the prawn with the bread.
Add the sesame seed mixture to a rimmed plate with a surface area large enough to fit the bread. Press the prawn side of your bread down into the sesame seeds to cover the prawn paste completely. Then, move the bread to chopping board, prawn/sesame side up, and cut down the centre into two even halves.
Whisk an egg in a large flat bowl or baking tray. With the prawn bread, dunk the exposed bread base into the egg to coat. Do not cover the sesame seed side in the egg.
Place bread slices into an air fryer and cook for 7 mins at 185 degrees Celsius.
Whilst the toast cooks, mix the ABC extra hot chilli sauce and Japanese mayonnaise together.
Remove the toast for the air fryer. To serve, place the bread with chilli mayo and garnish with cucumber, coriander and red chilli slices.
Seafood
Bento Inspired Seafood Bowl
To Make
Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil. Turn the heat down to low, and carefully add an egg to the water. Immediately turn the heat right back up. For a soft boiled egg, boil for 6 ½ minutes.
While your egg is cooking, prepare an ice bath. Once timer is up, turn off the heat and (carefully) add the egg to the ice water. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes, and peel away the shell.
To make the egg into a flower, simply lay out some cling wrap with 5-6 baking sticks spaced out horizontally on top. Lay the egg on, and roll it up so that the sticks and cling wrap evenly surround the egg. Carefully use two rubber bands and tie together the sticks at each end so it pinches all around the egg. Let it sit for at least 3-4 hours to keep its shape.
Meanwhile, cook 1 1 cup of short grain rice according to the instructions on your rice cooker. To cooled rice, add soy sauce, sesame oil, as well as a splash of rice wine vinegar.
Lay out some cling wrap, and scoop a bit sized amount of rice onto it. Cover the ball with the cling wrap, and tighten it so it forms a cleaner ball shape. Repeat 6 times for the small rice balls, and make a large one for the head of the bear. Keep in the fridge for at least an hour.
After refrigerated, unwrap and place the big rice ball in your bowl as well as two small ones on top of it for the ears. Place a couple big leaves of cabbage into the perimeter of the bowl as if it were to cup the contents.
To Assemble
Chop up cucumber and carrots into slices about a ½ centimetre thick. Use either a knife or a small cookie/fondant cutter to create little flower shapes out of the carrot, as well as two small circles of cucumber for the ears. Lay sliced cucumber into the bowl slightly flat but layered (like a ratatouille). Squeeze some siracha mayo on top to decorate.
To make an avocado rose, peel half an avocado and slice it thinly in the direction of its width. Very carefully, start spreading the avocado at a diagonal angle. Continue spreading until it’s quite long, and start to roll the line in on itself. Continue until you’ve rolled up the whole avocado and you have a rose. Use a large knife to slide under it to transfer it into the bowl. Add some optional caviar in its centre.
Start adding your sashimi and prawns.
Unwrap your flower egg, and slice it in half. Place it into the bowl as a little companion the rice bear.
Add purple cabbage and fill in areas of the bears belly that haven’t been filled yet, alongside with some sliced pickled ginger.
To make rice ball bear paws- two at the top and two at the bottom. Start cutting out some small circles of Yaki Nori for the paw prints as pictured, as well as a mouth and eyes for the bear and egg friend. Apply to surface with tweezers if needed.
Place the rest of your flower carrots on top to decorate, as well as any decorative flowers if desired. Experiment with placements to see what looks good.
Serve with some Kewpie Sriracha mayonnaise and soy sauce as a side.
Deep Fried Small Whiting with Vinegar Salad
To Make
Lightly coat fillets with flour, then fry in oil preheated to 180°C.
Combine dressing ingredients and navel juice in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool.
Combine whiting, salad, and dressing in a container and leave in the fridge to cool.
Inside Out Softshell Crab Sushi Roll
To Prep Soft Shell Crab
Remove the gills underneath the shell. Wrap with paper towels and press with some weight to squeeze some excess liquid out of the crab.
Coat lightly with corn flour and fry in oil preheated to 180°C until crispy.
To Prep Sushi Rice
Wash rice with cold water until the water becomes clear. Cook the rice and place it in a tray.
Evenly spray sushi vinegar on the hot rice and cool until 38°C.
To Make Sushi Roll
Place a sheet of nori on a makisu / cling film. Lay a thin layer of sushi rice on top then flip the nori sheet over.
On the centre place ingredients in a line leaving at least a 1/4 of space both top and bottom. Start with some siracha mayonnaise, tobiko, vegetables, and softshell crab (cut in half).
Carefully roll into a cylinder and coat the outside with tobiko. Cut each roll into 8 portions and serve with sliced pickled ginger.
Tip: Replace tobiko with black and white sesame seeds, to your liking.
Asian Grilled Salmon Skewers
To Make
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Cut the salmon fillets into 3-3.5cm cubes, then place them into the marinade and leave to marinate for 10-15 mins.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/R03066-Asian-Grilled-Salmon-Skewers-2.jpg
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Once the temperature is reached, turn your appliance to its grill function.
String the marinated salmon cubes onto the bamboo skewers leaving some space in between the cubes. Place skewers on a tray lined with aluminum foil.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/R03066-Asian-Grilled-Salmon-Skewers-3.jpg
Grill salmon for 18-20 mins.
Serve hot with toasted sesame seeds and lime wedges. Additionally, serve on rice with blanched bok choy (optional).
Noodle Wrapped Prawns with Dipping Sauce
To Make
Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and keep aside.
Heat up enough water in a saucepan. Once boiling, add in the noodles and let them cook for 30 secs. Once cooked, transfer into a bowl of cold water filled with ice cubes to stop it from cooking further.
Next, drain the noodles and add a tsp of oil so they don’t stick together.
Gather a bundle of noodles and wrap them around a prawn. Repeat with remaining prawns.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/R03064-Noodle-Wrapped-Prawns-2.jpg
Heat up a frying pan with enough oil. Check the oil by dipping a chopstick in (if there are bubbles coming off the chopsticks, it means the oil is ready).
Gently slide the noodle-wrapped prawns into the hot oil in a few batches and fry until cooked (3-5 mins) and the noodles are evenly brown on both sides.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/R03064-Noodle-Wrapped-Prawns-3.jpg
Removed fried prawns and drain them on a wire rack lined with kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.
Udang Masak Lemak
To Make
Wash the prawns and simply sprinkle some salt over them to clean off any dirt. Then, remove the shell but leave the head and tail intact. Use a sharp knife and slit along the back of the prawn to devein. Set aside when done.
Next, remove soaked dried shrimps from the water (keep soaking water for later use), and transfer to a blender or a mortar and pestle. Slightly pound the dried shrimps until they are fluffy. Set aside.
Blend all the spice paste ingredients together until you get a smooth paste.
Heat up a frying pan with 3 tbsp of oil under medium heat. Fry the pounded dried shrimp until it starts to bubble (about 3-5 mins). Lift up and set aside.
In the same frying pan, heat up another 3 tbsp of oil. Make sure the oil is hot enough. Saute the grounded spice paste until fragrant (about 5-6 mins).
Once fragrant, add in the fried dried shrimp and continue to fry until everything is well combined and fragrant.
Toss in the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.
Pour in water (soaking water from dried shrimps) and continue to fry the paste.
Pour in coconut cream now and stir until everything is well mixed and the paste starts to bubble.
Gently lay the prawns onto the paste. Cook them for about 2 mins and turn them over and cook for another 2 mins or until cooked. Be careful to not stir them too much to detach their heads.
Once cooked, dish up into a crafted coconut shell bowl and garnish with some kaffir lime leaves.
Chicken and Prawn Wontons in Chilli Oil
To Make
Combine chicken mince, prawns, ginger, garlic, chicken broth, and Shaoxing wine in a mixing bowl, mixing with chopsticks in one direction until well combined.
Add soy sauce, salt, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and white pepper, and keep mixing. Add green onion (set aside a handful or garnishing) and garlic chives, and continue to mix until well combined.
To make the wontons, spoon 1 tsp of filling in the centre of each wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water and fold in half from one corner to the other, sealing the edges with your fingers. Then, wet one corner with water and fold so that it crosses over to meet the other corner, gently pressing the corners together to seal.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add wontons in 2 batches and cook for 8-10 mins. Divide wontons into 4 bowls and reserve some of the liquid.
To finish the wontons, add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp chinese black vinegar and 1 tbsp of the reserved liquid into each bowl. Mix the wontons to coat in the sauce. Spoon over as much chilli oil as you like and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve.
Thai Red Curry Prawns With Pumpkin
To Make
Microwave the pumpkin for 3 mins and set aside.
Heat up 4 tbsp of oil on high heat in a saucepan to fry the prawns for 3 mins. Remove from pan and set aside.
Next, add 2 tbsp of oil to a pan and stir fry the red curry paste and ½ tbsp of sugar on low heat until fragrant. Then add in water, milk, and coconut milk and bring to a boil on medium heat.
Add in the rest of the sugar, tomatoes, chilies, kaffir lime leaves, and long beans* and cook for 2 mins on high heat (* vegetables should maintain their crunch after cooking).
Add in the prawns and pumpkin and cook for a further 2 mins.
Garnish with Thai basil and serve with jasmine rice.
Green Curry Fried Rice with Prawns
To Make
Heat the oil in the wok and add garlic and fry for 30 secs then add prawns and cook until 70% cooked.
Add green curry paste to the wok, stir for a minute then add the Thai eggplant, brown sugar, and oyster sauce. Stir until sugar has dissolved then add cooked rice.
Continue stirring until the rice is well combined with all ingredients. Then add green beans, sliced chilies, and Thai basil leaves.
Stir for 30 secs then put the fried rice onto a serving plate. Garnish with sliced kaffir lime leaf and Thai basil leaves. Enjoy!
Grilled Spicy Prawn Satay Skewers with Hot & Sour Cucumber and Crispy Wonton Salad
To Make
Thread cleaned Tiger Prawns onto bamboo skewers and marinate with a combination of Peanut Satay Paste, fresh chilli, minced kaffir lime leaves, garlic, ginger, Obento Mirin Seasoning, and sesame oil.
Place prawns on a hot grill or BBQ for 4 mins (they cook quickly).
Once cooked, remove from grill or BBQ and place on a serving platter, drizzle with additional marinade
To make the salad, toss together crispy wonton strips, cucumber ribbons, sliced yellow capsicum, sliced red onion, lime juice, fresh coriander and mint leaves, fresh chilli, sesame seeds, spring onion, sesame oil, and Obento Mirin Seasoning.
Serve on a bowl lined with Oak leaf lettuce.
Grilled Sriracha and Lemongrass Prawns
To Make
Wash prawns and drain dry. Next, slit the back of the prawn lengthwise, making an incision from the head to the tail using sharp scissors or a knife. Devein the prawns.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/R03017-Grilled-Sriracha-and-Lemongrass-Prawns-2.jpg
Blend together all the marinade ingredients then place in a large bowl. Place prawns inside the marinade and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour. Brush marinade into the slit to enable prawn flesh to absorb the flavours.
Once marinated, heat up your grill or frying pan and cook prawns until slightly charred on the shells.https://asianinspirations.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/R03017-Grilled-Sriracha-and-Lemongrass-Prawns-3.jpg
Serve prawns with lime wedges, coriander, and bird eyes chillies.