"These are seriously good and so quick to prepare; if I’ve got my vegetables prepped and ready, I can have these on the table within 15 minutes and board games happening soon after."
The toppings are, of course, customisable, and if there are sensitive tastes that would prefer no "bang bang" sauce (which is a decadent mix of mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce and lime juice), the prawns are equally delicious without it.
Ingredients
24 raw prawns, peeled and deveined
125 ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
185 g (1 1/2 cups) cornflour
oil, for frying (see Note)
Bang bang sauce
160 g (2/3 cup) whole-egg mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
To sauce
8 small soft tortillas, warmed
150 g (2 cups) finely shredded red cabbage
1/2 bunch coriander, leaves picked
200 g grape tomatoes,
quartered lime wedges
Method
Combine the prawns, buttermilk, salt, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Leave to marinate for no longer than 10 minutes.
Place the cornflour in a shallow bowl.
One by one, remove each of the prawns from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Dip them in the cornflour so that all sides are coated, then set aside on a plate. Once coated, the prawns need to be cooked immediately.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the prawns in batches for 2–3 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel, using a slotted spoon.
For the bang bang sauce, combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Reserve 125 ml (½ cup) sauce for drizzling on top, then toss the cooked prawns in the remainder of the sauce in the bowl.
Top the warm tortillas with the red cabbage, coriander, tomato and prawns, drizzle on the remaining bang bang sauce and serve with the lime wedges.
Canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil or similar are best for frying. The oil needs to be at least 2cm deep so that the prawns are submerged.
Leftovers
Bang bang prawn tacos are best made and eaten immediately.
Make ahead
You can prepare the sauce and salad ingredients in advance so that all you need to do is cook the prawns (they take minutes!) and warm the tortillas.
The book
The Simple Dinner Edit by Nicole Maguire, published by Plum, RRP $44.99, photography by Jeremy Simons.
