Caramelized Shrimps (Prawns) Recipe

Ingredients :

500g Medium raw shrimps 6 Spring onions 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons Caramel sauce 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Lime juice 1 tablespoon Soft brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/4 Red pepper (capsicum), cut into fine strips.

Method : Remove the shrimp heads and devein. Leave the tails shells and legs intact. Rinse the shrimps under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Finely chop half the spring onions. Cut the rest into 4 cm long pieces and then finely shred the pieces into thin strips. Heat the cooking oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Add the garlic, chopped spring onion and shrimps. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, tossing the shrimps until they turn pink. Drizzle the caramel sauce and fish sauce over the top and cook for 1 minute. Add the lime juice, sugar, salt and remaining spring onion. Toss well and serve immediately, garnish with the red pepper. If the prawn shells are tender, they can be eaten. Note : To make caramel sauce, combine 4 tablespoons of sugar with 3 tablespoons of water in a small pan. Stir over low heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the syrup to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, until the syrup turns dark golden. Take care not to burn it. Remove the pan from the heat and add 4 tablespoons of water. It will spit and sizzle and the caramel will form hard lumps. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring until the limps become liquid again. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.