If you love homemade prawn crackers as much as I do, you've probably wrestled with the sticky challenge of forming wet dough into smooth, log-shaped rolls. Through trial and error, I've discovered that the secret to light, crispy crackers lies in keeping the dough on the wetter side – it puffs up beautifully once fried. But working with wet dough? Let’s just say it can get messy.
In my early attempts, I tried rolling the dough with plastic wrap. That helped, but I couldn’t get past the thought of plastic sticking to my dough. Luckily, I stumbled upon an easier, cleaner method: pour the dough straight into a cake pan and steam it. Simple, no sticky fingers, no plastic! The result? Perfectly formed, mess-free dough that’s ready for slicing.
For added flavor, I mix garlic and a bit of fish stock right into the dough. Processing the prawns with garlic and a splash of water creates a smooth paste, making it easy to work with. A touch of baking powder is optional, but I find it gives a nice, light texture.
When it comes to flour, tapioca is my go-to. It gives prawn crackers that signature crunch. Incorporating it slowly is key – adding it gradually prevents lumps, and if the dough feels dry, just add a bit more water. After steaming, the dough needs to chill overnight in the fridge.
This step is crucial for a firm texture that’s easy to slice. Once chilled, I slice it thinly and leave the pieces to dry under the sun before frying them to golden perfection.
The best part? A stash of prawn crackers, ready to enjoy anytime! I keep both dried and fried crackers in airtight containers to maintain their crispiness. After one night of chilling the will be easier to sliced. Sliced then thinly and dry under the sun. Fry the dried with hot oil. Keep the cooked and uncooked crackers in air tight containers.
Ingredients
- 300g shrimp
- 150g tapioca flour (adjust as needed)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chicken stock
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp baking powder (optional)
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup water
Method
- Process the shrimp, garlic, and seasonings (except for the flour) into a fine paste. Add a bit of water if needed to smooth out the texture.
- Gradually add the tapioca flour to the paste, incorporating a bit at a time to avoid lumps. The dough should stay sticky, so avoid adding too much flour. If it starts to feel dry, add a touch more water.
- Spoon the dough into a cake pan that fits your steamer, smooth the top, and steam for one hour.
- Let the steamed dough cool, then chill overnight in the fridge to firm up.
- The next day, slice the chilled dough as thinly as possible. Sun-dry the slices for a full day until completely dry.
- Once dried, fry the slices in hot oil until they puff up and turn golden. Store in airtight containers for crispy, homemade prawn crackers anytime!
Comments
Post a Comment