Madam Woo Sambal Prawns
Love to cook and feel like some time-out in the kitchen? This recipe will delight. Fleur Caulton from Madam Woo has included the recipes for not just the Sambal Prawns but also the Madam Woo Sambal Paste (also used in the Madam Woo Beef Rendang) and the Sambal Prawn Paste. When you make these from scratch you'll have a bit of paste left for your own creations — enough for a Madam Woo treat on any quiet homebound weekend or weeknight.
A note from The Wine List's food editor Laura Faire: This is a great recipe to arm yourself with before heading off to your local Asian specialty store. I find most of these ingredients keep well, either in a darkened spice drawer or even the freezer.
When making up the tamarind water to complete the Prawn Sambal Paste, it's great to make a big jug by boiling the tamarind block in water — skim off the amount needed for the recipe and use the rest for a special cocktail, mocktail or even an unusual buck's fizz.
I have left the measurements as supplied by the chef; a little common sense can be used at home, though — a pinch of salt would suffice for 1 gram (1 teaspoon of salt is 4 grams).
Madam Woo Sambal Prawns
- 25ml canola oil
- 1g curry leaf
- 20g red onions, sliced
- 180g prawn cutlets, butterfly-cut
- 50g okra, cut in half
- 3 pcs dried red chili
- 15ml chicken stock
- 50g sambal prawn paste* (recipe below)
- Salt and pepper
Garnish: Fried Vietnamese mint and spring onion
Method
- In a hot wok or frying pan add the oil, curry leaf, red onion and prawns and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the okra and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken stock, chili and prawn sambal and continue to stir until everything is coated.
- Salt and pepper to taste, garnish and serve.
Chili Sambal
- 90g shallot, peeled and chopped
- 15g garlic cloves
- 50g cooked dried chili* (see below)
- 15g candlenut* (see here), or use macadamia or cashew
- 100ml canola oil
- 20g caster sugar
- 4g salt
How to cook dried chili: Add the dried chili to a pot of boiling water and simmer for ½ hour. Strain into a colander and keep in the container.
Method:
- Blend the shallot, garlic, cooked dried chili and candlenut in a small blender to a smooth paste.
- In a thick-based pot, heat the oil on medium-low and sauté the raw chili paste, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick. Continue to cook until the paste is no longer bitter.
- Add the sugar and salt to caramelise the paste; continue until it becomes dark red and the oil splits.
- Leave to cool before storing the sambal in a clean, dry airtight container.
Prawn Sambal Paste
- 60g sambal paste
- 5g shrimp paste
- 1g kaffir lime leaf (roughly chopped)
- 5g crushed lemongrass
- 5g minced ginger
- 5g crushed garlic
- 15ml canola oil
- 4 pcs curry leaves
- 1g ground turmeric
- 5ml fish sauce
- 1g salt
- 2g caster sugar
- 30ml tamarind water (3 parts water, 1 part tamarind)
Method
- Blend all ingredients (except the tamarind water) together until they form a smooth paste.
- Add to a thick-based pot and cook over low heat until fragrant, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tamarind water and cook for a further 15 minutes over low heat, then store in a clean, dry airtight container.
The Pairing
Madam Woo owner Fleur Caulton matches the Sambal Prawns with Mahi Pinot Gris — its stone-fruit roundness and gentle texture stand up to the chilli. See more Madam Woo wine matches.