Description
Crispy double-fried prawns coated in a deliciously spicy and garlicky hot pepper sauce, served with fragrant white rice. This recipe features a light, crunchy batter and a vibrant sauce made with gochujang, sriracha, and fresh chillies, perfect for a flavorful seafood meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Batter and Prawns
- 700g large prawns, peeled, deveined and patted dry
- 65g cornflour
- 95g potato starch
- 50g plain flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 120ml water (for batter)
- Vegetable oil, for frying (about 5cm depth in pan)
Sauce
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 4½ tsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp gochujang
- 1–2 tsp sriracha, chilli sauce or chilli-garlic sauce (adjust to heat preference)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 60ml water (for sauce)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp diced onion
- 6 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
- 1 fresh Korean red chilli, or Fresno chilli, diced
- 1 fresh Korean green chilli or jalapeño, diced
- Handful of spring onions, sliced on an angle
To Serve
- Cooked white rice
Instructions
- Heat the Oil: In a large, wide, heavy-based pan at least 13cm deep, heat 5cm of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 190°C. Ensure the pan is no more than two-thirds full of oil for safety.
- Prepare the Batter: Whisk together cornflour, potato starch, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add the egg white, 1 tsp vegetable oil, and 120ml water, whisking well to form a thick batter.
- First Fry: Working in batches, coat each prawn in the batter, allowing excess to drip off. Carefully lower prawns one at a time into the hot oil. Fry for about 1½ minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or paper-lined plate. Allow oil to return to 190°C between batches.
- Second Fry for Extra Crispiness: Return the prawns back to the hot oil and fry for an additional 1½ to 2 minutes until very crisp. Drain again on a wire rack or paper-lined plate, and set aside.
- Make the Sauce: Whisk together sugar, tomato purée, soy sauce, rice vinegar, gochujang, sriracha, toasted sesame oil, cornflour, and 60ml water in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, grated garlic, and diced red and green chillies. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant but not browned.
- Cook the Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the pan with the aromatics. Cook for about 45 seconds, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Combine Prawns and Sauce: Add the fried prawns to the sauce, tossing quickly to coat evenly with the garlicky hot pepper sauce.
- Garnish and Serve: Transfer to a serving platter, scatter sliced spring onions over the top, and serve immediately with cooked white rice.
Notes
- Double frying the prawns ensures an ultra-crispy texture, so don’t skip the second fry.
- Adjust the amount of sriracha or chilli sauce to control the heat level to your preference.
- Use fresh chillies to add vibrant, fresh heat, but you can omit or substitute according to tolerance.
- Serve immediately for best texture; the prawns are crispest fresh out of the sauce.
- Ensure the oil temperature stays around 190°C for perfect frying; too low and the prawns will absorb oil, too high and they may burn.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Korean-Inspired
Keywords: fried prawns, crispy prawns, garlicky hot pepper sauce, spicy seafood, korean-inspired prawn recipe, double fried prawns, spicy prawn sauce
