200gfresh raw prawns300g/10.5oz with shell on (frozen raw prawns will work too)
ground white pepper
125mlwater
1Tbsp vegetable or peanut oilsesame oil will be lovely here too
Aromatics
2spring onions(scallions)
1medium clove garlic
1-2red chilliuse a mild one for a mild dish
Instructions
Prep the Prawns
If using shell on prawns: twist the head off carefully, removing all the shell but the tail end. The intestinal vein that runs along the back of the prawn should be visible and just sticking out. Give it a firm but gentle pull.If it's stuck, use a small knife to cut a shallow groove along the back and take the vein out and discard.Place the prawns in a bowl.
Crack the eggs into a bowl. Using your fingers, gently lift the egg yolk, getting rid of as much egg white off it, as you can. Place the egg yolk into another small bowl.Salted egg yolks are pretty sturdy, so don't worry about breaking them, but don't be too rough in removing any attached white.
Pour a little of the egg white (about half an egg) onto the prawns. Freeze the rest for later use. Add a few dashes of the pepper and coat the prawns all over with the salted egg white and pepper. Set aside while you get everything else ready.
Other Prep Work
Chop up all the aromatics as you see in the image: the spring onions, garlic and chillies. The chilli and garlic want to be chopped up fairly finely.Separate the green from the white for the spring onions, we'll be using the green to garnish after cooking. Roughly chop up the whites a little but leave the green in rings.
Add a little of the water (about 3 tablespoons) to the egg yolks and mash them using 2 forks. It'll be a sticky, gooey mess and you'll have lumps. Don't worry about it, the lumps will add to the final enjoyment of the dish.
Let's get Cooking
Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan on high heat and flash fry the prawns for about 2 minutes, flipping frequently. We want to cook the prawns until they are almost done and get some charred bits, that's why the high heat.Don't overcook the prawns here as they'll still be cooked for a minute or two later. Leaving them a touch raw is fine.Tip out onto a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. You should still have some oil in the wok, if not, add half a tablespoon more. Tip in the chopped spring onion whites, the chillies and garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
Tip in the salted egg yolk and water mash, along with the rest of the water. Very quickly, stir this around to create a thick sauce. Cook for 1 minute. If it's getting to dry, add a little more water, about 60ml (¼ cup).
Add the prawns back into the wok, along with any juices on the plate and stir to mix and coat the prawns with the salted egg sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the prawns are heated through and fully cooked.
Take it off the heat and transfer the salted egg prawns onto a serving plate and garnish with a little white pepper and the green spring onions. Serve immediately.