It’s not difficult to succumb to these large lemongrass prawns, juicy, highly desired and fragrant as they are. Created in the kitchens at Constance Ephélia, the idea occurred to our chef while travelling in Thailand.
He loved the famous Tom Yam Kung, but the broth was too powerful for the European palate, and the texture of the seafood was not highlighted enough. This personal and tasty version is enjoyed by alternating a mouthful of prawns with a sip of broth.
Constance Ephélia’s lemongrass prawns
Ingredients (Serves 4)
The seafood:
- 12 black tiger prawns (size U 10)
- 1 orange
- 1 tomato
- 200g lemongrass
- 1 ginger root
- 1 kaffir lime leaf
- Olive oil: as required
- Salt/pepper
1. Shell the prawn tails keeping the heads for the shellfish broth. Store it.
2. Put the heads together with the orange that has been cut in half into a saucepan along with the tomato. Cover it with water and cook for 25 minutes on a low heat.
3. Sieve this broth through a cheesecloth strainer to remove the impurities.
4. Wash and slice the lemon. Peel and finely cut the ginger root. Let them steep for 5 minutes with a kaffir leaf in the shellfish consommé. Strain the consommé and keep it warm.
The garnish:
- 1 red pepper (capsicum)
- 100g mange-tout peas
- 2 carrots
- 1 white turnip
- 1 red chilli pepper
1. Take the stalks off the mange-tout peas. Wash and chop them finely lengthways. Store them.
2. Peel the carrots then wash and cut them with a mandolin cutter into thin 3mm-thick slices, then into julienne slices. Put them in a bowl with iced water.
3. Follow the same procedure for the turnip.
4. Cut the red capsicum pepper in half and remove the seeds. Using a food processor, remove the skin and chop it finely. Store it.
5. Wash the red chilli pepper and cut it finely.
6. Drain all the vegetables and put them together in a bowl. Mix them well. Add some red pepper and serve separately in small bowls. Add a drizzle of olive oil.
Finishing and presentation
Whichever is more convenient for you, grill or pan-fry the prawns.
Serve the lemongrass tea in a teapot, and the bowls of crispy salad vegetables separately.
Sommelier’s suggested wine
Dry white wine:
- Pernand-Vergelesses, 1er Cru “Sous-Frétilles”, Deux Montille, 2008 France
- Chablis 1er Cru “Vaucoupin”, Corinne et Jean-Pierre Grossot, 2008 France.
Read more
- Discover the range of Constance recipes
- Celebrate our passion for gastronomy
- Learn more about our culinary spirit on our website: Constance Hotels and Resorts.