Mango & Chilli Prawn Salad

Ingredients

• 300 g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt
• 1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced
• 80 g rocket or mixed leaves
• 0.5 cucumber, diced
• 0.5 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 15g fresh mint, leaves picked
• 15g fresh coriander, leaves picked
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, lime juice and fish sauce together in a small bowl until it looks cloudy and emulsified. Taste — it should be sharp, salty and bright. Adjust now: a touch more lime if it's flat, a few drops more fish sauce if it needs depth.
2. Pat the prawns thoroughly dry with kitchen paper — water means steam, and steam means no caramelisation. Toss them with the chilli flakes, smoked paprika, olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, working the spices into every prawn so they bloom in the hot oil rather than sitting raw on the surface. Leave to sit while you build the salad.
3. Tip the edamame into a bowl, pour over just-boiled water, leave for 1 minute, then drain and pat dry.
4. In a large bowl, combine the rocket, cucumber, red onion, red chilli, edamame, mango, mint and coriander. Pour over two-thirds of the dressing and toss gently so the leaves are glossed but not weighed down. Taste a leaf — season with a pinch more salt if the mango is pulling it sweet.
5. Heat a large stainless or cast iron frying pan over very high heat until it's properly smoking — a cool pan steams prawns, a screaming pan caramelises them. Lay the prawns in a single layer with space between each one; if your pan is small, work in two batches. Crowd them and they'll release water and poach instead of sear. Cook for 90 seconds per side, until pink, curled and caramelised at the edges.
6. Divide the salad between two plates, pile the hot prawns on top, spoon over the rest of the dressing, scatter the extra coriander leaves, and tuck the lime wedges alongside for squeezing at the table.