Salad of Prawns with a Coconut & Chilli Jam Dressing

I made this divine salad at our Easy Asian Dinner Party cooking class last week and it was a winner. My students wondered how such a quick and easy salad could taste so good? The answer is the combination of the classic Thai flavours of the dressing, sweet prawns and fresh Asian herbs.

This is a fabulous salad for entertaining, as the majority of the preparation can be done prior to your guests arriving, so all that needs to be done last minute is toss everything together in a salad bowl. You could substitute the prawns with the shredded meat of a Chinese barbequed duck for an equally delicious result.

Ingredients (serves 4):
Salad:
¼ cup shredded coconut
500g peeled cooked medium prawns (you’ll need 1 kg unpeeled prawns)
175g baby spinach leaves
4 Asian shallots, finely sliced (substitute with 1 small red onion, finely sliced)
½ cup Thai basil leaves
1 tablespoon crispy fried onions (from Asian grocers)

Dressing:
1/3 cup coconut cream
2 teaspoons palm sugar (from the Asian section of supermarkets or Asian grocers)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon chilli jam (from gourmet stores or Asian grocers)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Garnish:  extra crispy fried onions

Method:
1.    Toast the coconut in a non-stick frypan over medium heat until golden. Cool and set aside in a covered container.
2.    Prepare the other salad ingredients and store separately in the refrigerator.
3.    Make the dressing: Place the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine (or shake together in a screw-top jar). Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
4.   When ready to serve:  in a bowl place the prepared salad ingredients, pour over the dressing and toss well.
5.    Serve either on a serving platter, or on individual serving plates. Garnish with extra crispy fried onions.

Bon appetit!

Cooking class participants enjoying the salad