Crispy Prawn Balls
Today we are making my delicious Crispy Prawn Balls! Fresh green prawn meat is mixed with Asian seasonings and spring onions then haphazardly wrapped in shredded spring roll pastry and deep-fried to a golden perfection. They are juicy and flavoursome in the middle and delicious and crunchy on the outside. Perfect for entertaining and they will definitely impress your guests!
Ingredients
PRAWN MIXTURE
- 500g fresh green banana prawns, peeled and deveined (See Notes)
- ⅓ cup finely sliced spring/green onions
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced or grated
- ½ teaspon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
TO ASSEMBLE
- 10 sheets frozen spring roll pastry, thawed (See Notes)
TO SERVE
- Your choice of dipping sauce (Sweet and Sour, Sweet chilli, Soy etc)
Instructions
PRAWN MIXTURE
- Roughly chop the prawns into small pieces then place into a bowl. (You could also do this in a food processor but I much prefer the texture of roughly chopped prawns. You get lots of nice chunks rather than a paste).
- Add all the remaining ingredients and stir really well for about 1 minute or so until you get a thickish mixture. Transfer to the fridge whilst preparing the wrappers.
SPRING ROLL WRAPPERS
- Gently pull the wrappers apart then roll up in a cylinder shape, and slice them into the width you prefer. I sliced mine about .5cm thickness. Then slice the ribbons in half to make shorter lengths.
- Place the wrapper ribbons into a bowl.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Roughly divide the prawn mixture into 12 portions. Shape each portion into a rough shaped ball and place into the wrapper ribbons.
- Scoop the ribbons around the prawn mixture and shape into a ball, squeezing lightly with your hands to secure the ribbons on the outside. (You can trim overhanging ribbons off and return them to the bowl to use again).
- Place onto a lined baking tray. Repeat with remaining prawn mixture and wrapper ribbons. Cover and chill until ready to cook.
- TIP: Save any leftover 'ribbons' to quickly deep fry after cooking the prawn balls. They are lovely and crunchy and nice to snack on. Discard though if preferred.
TO COOK
- Pour enough oil into a wok or saucepan to come one-third up the sides. Heat over a medium-high heat until oil reaches 180°C (when oil is ready, a cube of bread turns golden in 15 secs).
- Cook the prawn balls, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and prawns are cooked through. Drain on paper towel quickly then transfer to a wire rack. Serve hot with your desired dipping sauce or sauces.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - PRAWNS
I used 500g fresh green banana prawns in their shells. If you do not have access or would prefer to use frozen green prawns that is also fine. I would use approximately 300g frozen prawn meat and thaw in the fridge or until cool running water till defrosted. Make sure to pat them well dry with paper towel before using. - SPRING ROLL WRAPPERS
I purchase my wrappers from the freezer section in Coles – don’t use the brand Woolworths sell – they are terrible. They stick together and are hard too separate. You may need more or less than specified depending on how much you wrap around each prawn ball.
To Thaw: Pop the frozen wrappers into the fridge an hour or so before slicing into strips to allow them to thaw. It helps with less condensation on the wrappers therefore less tears. - IF MIXTURE IS A LITTLE WET
Depending on the prawns you use, if the mixture is still a little wet to form into rough balls (they do not need to be firm and perfect), simply add a little more cornflour to the prawn mixture to thicken slightly.