CHILLI PRAWNS AND CALAMARI

Recipe by Chef Dennis Leslie

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1kg king prawns, cooked and peeled
500g squid, cleaned and cut into 1cm strips
½ cup whole dried medium red chillies
½ brown onion, finely sliced
1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced
½ bunch spring onion, the white finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 thumb of ginger, peeled and finely grated on microplane
4 tbsp chilli sambal, follow recipe below
¼ cup oyster sauce
1¼ cups water
½ bunch spring onion, finely sliced lengthways and placed in ice water to create spring onion curls

Ingredients – Chilli Sambal:
1 litre vegetable oil
5 brown onions, peeled and roughly cut into 2cm cubes
500g garlic, peeled
5 cups dried red chilli
1½ cups palm sugar powder
¾ cup oyster sauce

Method for the Chilli Sambal:

  1. Add the oil, onion and garlic to a small wok and turn the heat to medium-high.
  2. Cook the onions and garlic until slightly brown and soft, or for about 10 minutes, continually stirring.
  3. Scoop the onion and garlic out of the oil with a slotted spoon and place in a deep stainless steel bowl.
  4. Add the dried chilli to the hot oil and cook until it turns dark in colour.
  5. Drain with a slotted spoon and add to the garlic and onion.
  6. Purée with a hand blender, adding a little oil from the pan for moisture until the consistency is smooth.
  7. Add oyster sauce and palm sugar and blitz to mix through. Set aside.

Method for the Chilli Prawns and Calamari:

  1. Clean the wok, saving the oil used for cooking and reheat on high.
  2. Add back in about 2 tablespoons of the oil used for cooking and add the calamari. Cook until sealed and slightly browned then set aside.  Heat up the wok again and a little more of the cooking oil.
  3. Add the dried chilli and cook until dark in colour.
  4. Add the onions and sauté until soft.
  5. Add the chilli and spring onions and sauté for 1 minute.
  6. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a further 2 minutes.
  7. Add the sambal and toss through.
  8. Add the oyster sauce and stir through, followed by the water and allow to simmer for about 30 seconds.
  9. Add the prawns and then add back the sealed calamari. Toss through until well coated and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  10. Serve and garnish with spring onion curls.
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