delicious UK – April 2018

Prawns with tamarind

caramelandblackpepper

SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN

In this recipe I’ve used

palm sugar, which is the

quintessential sweetener in

many Asian kitchens. It has

a complex, honeyed flavour

that makes it worth seeking

out (you can find it in larger

supermarkets). If you can’t

find palm sugar, use light

brown sugar instead. To ofset

the sweetness of the caramel, be

generous with the black pepper

• use considerably more than
  you would to simply season a
  dish. Size matters here too – the
  larger the prawns you’re using,
  the larger the surface area to
  coat in all that delicious
  tamarind caramel.

MAKE

AHEAD

Make the tamarind caramel

(steps 1-2) up to 2 days

ahead and keep covered in

the fridge. Warm before using.

• Rapeseed oil for frying


• 500-600g sustainable raw tiger
  or jumbo king prawns, heads and
  shells removed but tails left
  intact, defrosted if frozen


• Juice ½ lime


• Small handful fresh Thai basil (or
  regular basil), leaves torn


• Jasmine rice to serve

FOR THE TAMARIND CARAMEL

• 2 red chillies, chopped (seeds
  removed if you wish)


• 1 banana shallot, chopped


• Handful fresh coriander, leaves
  picked, stems chopped


• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped


• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil


• 150g palm sugar (see Ravinder’s
  introduction), crushed


• 2 tbsp tamarind paste


• 1 tbsp fish sauce

1 For the tamarind caramel, pound

the chillies, shallot, coriander stems

and garlic to a paste in a pestle and

mortar (or whizz together in a mini

food processor).

2 Heat the rapeseed oil in a wide

heavy-based pan and fry the paste

for 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Add

the palm sugar and cook until

melted and golden. Add 2 tbsp cold

water (be careful as it will spit), then

cook for 2 minutes until thick and

glossy. Cool slightly, then stir in the

tamarind and fish sauce. Set aside.

3 Heat the oil in a large frying pan

over a medium heat. Add the prawns

and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning to

cook evenly. Add enough tamarind

caramel to coat, then grind in plenty

of black pepper and stir-fry for 30

seconds. Take off the heat, squeeze

over the lime juice and scatter over

the basil. Serve with cooked jasmine

rice and an extra drizzle of the

tamarind caramel.

PER SERVING 482kcals, 26.3g fat

(2g saturated), 23.1g protein,

37.8g carbs (34.1g sugars), 1.1g salt,

0.9g fibre

Tofu with caramel and

sichuan pepper

SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 20 MIN

Tofu has been misunderstood

by some as a bland rubbery filler

food, but when cooked well it’s

surprisingly addictive. Take the

time to really dry out the tofu

and crisp up the edges. It will

melt away with each bite, leaving

a satisfying trail of heat, umami

and sweetness.

MAKE

AHEAD

Any leftover sauce will

keep in an airtight

containerforuptoaweek.

FOOD

TEAM’S

TIPS

We used a 70g pack of

Growing Underground

Asian Micro Herbs Mix

from Ocado. You could use micro

herbs from finefoodspecialist.com

or use chopped fresh coriander

leaves instead.

Find Chinese black rice vinegar

online at souschef.co.uk. Or mix

½ tsp balsamic vinegar with ½ tsp

rice wine vinegar and ½ tbsp water.

Chilli bean paste is available at

souschef.co.uk. If you can’t find it,

use sriracha sauce (from large

supermarkets) instead. →

There is no cinematic moment
that has compelled me to want
to run to the kitchen to have my way
with a bag of sugar more than the
opening titles of Caramel, a languidly
beguiling Lebanese film directed by
Nadine Labaki. It unveils the private
lives and longings of four women who all
work in a beauty salon in Beirut.
The title refers to a much-loved sugar
confection, which is of course edible, but
that’s often used across the Middle East
for depilation purposes, much like wax.
The film opens with a voyeuristic peek
into caramel being prepared in a
battered pan on a rickety stove. What
the sequence lacks in sleekness and
chicness, it makes up for with a friendly,
familiar warmth that’s inviting and
instantly seductive. It’s in the moment
when caramel is poured and the camera
pans over a river of golden bubbling
sugar that I marvel at the magic of it – an
alchemy of sugar and heat that creates
something completely irresistible.
The film is a touch sentimental but
that’s not to say it’s soppy or saccharine –
the women face moments of loneliness,
disappointment and heartbreak but
show resilience and optimism. Life,
like the caramel they concoct, has
a wealth of possibilities ahead.
These recipes, inspired by that
film, are just some of them.

58 deliciousmagazine.co.uk