Kung Pao Prawn Spaghetti
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 2
- 500g/1.1lbs prawns, in shell, heads on
- Oil for frying
- 4 green onions, white and green separated and sliced
- 5cm/2inches ginger, peeled and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 2 red chillies, sliced
- 1/2 green capsicum, seeded and cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn
- 250g/8.8ozs. spaghetti
For sauce
- 250ml/8.8flozs. prawn stock from step 1 (you can also use chicken stock if you can't be bothered making your own stock)
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornflour/fine cornstarch
Step 1 - First remove the shells and heads from the prawns. Place the shells and heads in a saucepan with a cup of water and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on. Strain the shells and cool the stock. Butterfly the prawns and remove the back vein.
Step 2 - It's best to have everything ready to cook before you cook the pasta. Place all the sauce ingredients together in a jug and then cut up the rest of the ingredients. Put the pasta onto boil in plenty of salted, boiling water for 7 minutes. While it is cooking and has 3 minutes or so to go, in a large saucepan, add some oil and stir fry the peppercorns onions, ginger, chilli and capsicum for a minute or two on high heat. Add the garlic and then add the prawns and stir fry until the prawns start to take on colour.
Step 3 - Turn the heat to low. Whisk the sauce ingredients just to make sure that the cornflour is mixed up (it tends to settle on the bottom) and then add to the pan and allow to thicken. The spaghetti should be ready to drain by then. Then add it to the saucepan and coat it in the sauce. Serve with the green onions and chopped, roasted peanuts.