Incredibly Fed Prawn and Mango Salad

At the Incredibly Fed kitchen we often make Vietnamese summer rolls as a canape for parties or as a starter. They are a delicious and fresh alternative to the more commonly seen spring rolls which are heavier and usually deep fat fried. The rice paper wrappings are bought dried and are prepared by just dipping them in tepid water for a moment or two. They then become pliable and easy to manoeuvre around the shredded goodie fillings. We generally produce a cigar shaped roll and slice it in half for presentation purposes. This also helps the absorption of the accompanying dip which is essential to the canape! As long as they are kept moist they can be made in advance requiring just the minimum of presentation at the party venue or any other point of delivery. They are a favourite with both the chefs and guests alike. We vary the filling from time to time sometimes including vermicelli noodles bean sprouts shredded mange touts and peppers. Currently our favoured ingredients are mango and prawns.

In this recipe we have dispensed with the rice paper to make a fresh summer salad which is healthy and delicious and with the omission of the prawns can be a wonderful vegetarian dish in the "Raw Food" manner!

Salad Ingredients (4 - 6 people)

2 or 3 carrots shredded
1 Cucumber sliced with a peeler into strips
2 Spring onions
1 Mango (not too ripe) cut into batons
Handful Mint leaves
Handful Coriander leaves
Handful Roasted peanuts or Cashew nuts crushed
Handful cooked king prawns (if desired)
1 deseeded chilli sliced thinly

Simple Dressing Ingredients

4 tbsp Rice vinegar
4 tbsp Fish sauce
4 tbsp warm water
1 clove garlic finely sliced
2 cm ginger cut into thin matchsticks
6 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
Juice of 1 Lime




Method
Combine all dip ingredients in a saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved and allow to cool down. Adjust flavour balance to taste. Combine salad ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing just before serving. Garnish with prawns and crushed nuts.