I still remember the first time I tried Thai green mango salad. It was, and is, a heady combination of flavours: salt, in both crystals and from fish sauce; sugar, preferably unrefined; fresh chilli, lots of it; citrus tang from the lime; and lots of aromatic notes from the herbs. It’s also very simple to bash together at home, as is this embellished version with prawns and peanuts. Just make sure you have a large pestle and mortar, which is the secret to many a great sauce.
Thai prawn salad with green mango and peanuts
This is also delicious topped with fried tofu.
Prep 25 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 6
400g rice noodles – I like the ribbon ones
1kg raw shell-on prawns, or 600g shelled prawns
4 baby shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 star anise (optional)
For the salad
6 radishes, thinly sliced
¼ red cabbage, finely sliced
2 carrots, coarsely grated
1 green mango, peeled, pitted and cut into matchsticks
300g bean shoots
1 large handfulmint leaves
1 large handful coriander leaves
100g peanuts, toasted and roughly chopped
For the dressing
1 small handful coriander stalks (ie left over from picking the leaves above)
2-3 pinches of salt
2.5cm thumb ginger, peeled and grated
3-5 large garlic cloves, peeled
4-8 bird’s eye chillies
3-4 tbsp sugar (palm, demerara or caster)
7-9 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp fish sauce
3-4 tbsp sesame oil
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then drain and rinse well under cold running water to stop them sticking together.
Bring a pan of water to a boil, drop in the prawns, one of the shallots and a star anise, if you have one, and simmer gently for three to four minutes, until the prawns are just turning pink. Turn off the heat and leave the prawns to cool in the stock. Once cool, peel the prawns – freeze the shells and stock, to make soup at a later date.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Wash the coriander stems under cold water, then roughly chop. Put them in a pestle with the salt, ginger, three of the garlic cloves and four of the chillies, pound to a paste, then taste: it should be spicy and salty. Pound in another garlic clove and more chillies if you like things more spicy, and bear in mind that much of the heat will vanish once the noodles are dressed. Add the sugar and five tablespoons of the lime juice, and pound until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the fish sauce and sesame oil, taste again, then adjust as necessary. You’re looking for a rich, rounded, irresistible flavour.
When you are ready to serve, put all the salad ingredients bar a quarter of the peanuts in a bowl and toss. Depending on the size of the prawns, add them whole or chop into two to three pieces. Pour over the dressing, toss again and taste. Adjust the balance of flavours again, scatter over the reserved peanuts and serve with your favourite chilli oil on the side.
Pineapple coconut lime loaf
A delicious, Thai-inspired loaf cake that sparkles with acid from the lime and floral notes from the pineapple.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 20 min
Serves 6-8
150g pineapple flesh, fresh or tinned
70g toasted coconut flakes, plus 20g extra to decorate
175g softened unsalted butter
175g golden caster sugar
Zest of 2 limes
3 large eggs
160g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
For the icing
30ml fresh lime juice, from the zested limes above
100g icing sugar
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and grease and line a 900g loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
Blend the pineapple to a pulp with a stick blender or in a food processor. Put a dry frying pan on a medium heat, tip in the coconut flakes and toast until they turn a pale caramel colour, then blitz to a fine crumb.
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk or a wooden spoon, until light and fluffy, then beat in the lime zest. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure they’re well incorporated before adding the next, then stir in the pineapple pulp.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and coconut crumbs into a second bowl, then gently fold into the wet ingredients. Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through – a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
To make the icing, pour the lime juice into a small bowl, then and sift in the icing sugar little by little, until you have a pourable icing. Once the cake has cooled, take it out of the tin, pour the icing over the top and decorate with the extra toasted coconut flakes and a little lime zest.
