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Luke Nguyen's warm mango & prawn salad recipe

28/1/2013

 
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Luke Nguyen says his warm mango and prawn salad 'is a great example of a dish that has both Vietnamese and French elements'.
Just prior to Christmas, I purchased a 3kg box of Austral Fisheries wild-caught tiger prawns. Austral Fisheries operates a fleet of ten prawn trawlers in the Northern Prawn Fishery situated off the coast of northern Australia.  The fishery was established in the late 1960′s and is Australia’s most valuable fishery. The company's Banana and Tiger prawns have been certified as 'sustainable and well managed' by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).  

We've been cooking our way through that box of prawns and I have to tell you, the quality is outstanding!  Austral's trawlers are fully refrigerated, allowing the crews to grade, pack and freeze the prawns on board within a short time of them being caught. Thus, that ocean freshness is truly locked in.
With such a good quantity of prawns, as well as a tray or two of mangoes, I thought I'd road test a recipe that had taken my fancy from Luke Nguyen's Greater Mekong. This warm mango and prawn salad appears on page 248-249 of the book and was also showcased In an episode of the TV series. Luke cited this as a special recipe for his mum and dad, as he and his parents prepared the dish on a boat at the Cai Be floating markets. As they chopped, sliced and stir-fried, Mr and Mrs Nguyen shared stories of their journey to freedom in the 1970s. It must have been harrowing to say goodbye to their parents and other family members, knowing that they were leaving them behind in Vietnam. I thought of how my own parents had been in similar circumstances when they fled Hungary in 1956-57. Such amazing courage.
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Green (raw) prawns have been frozen at sea
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Semi-ripe mangoes, fresh basil and mint
Here is my take on the recipe, which appears kind courtesy of Luke Nguyen and Hardie Grant Books. You need semi ripe mangoes for this d

LUKE NGUYEN'S WARM MANGO & PRAWN SALAD RECIPE
2 x semi-ripe mangoes, peeled and the flesh julienned
125g snow peas, topped and tailed
a handful of mixed mint leaves, basil leaves (and Vietnamese mint and perilla, if you have it), sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2-3 red Asian shallots, sliced
3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
juice of two limes
450g large raw prawns, peeled and deveined, tails intact (optional)
salt and pepper to taste, optional

Dressing*:
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil

Blanch the snow peas briefly in a saucepan of boiling water. Drain, refresh in cold water and drain again. Slice the snow peas and combine in a mixing bowl with the julienned mango and the sliced mint and basil leaves.

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together in a small jug. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Heat your wok, add the oil and saute the shallot and ginger briefly until they begin to caramelise. Toss in the prawns and stir fry until they are just cooked (they will turn pink). Deglaze the wok with the lime juice and toss through the prawns. Add the prawn mixture to mango and other ingredients in the mixing bowl and then pour over the dressing. Pile onto a plate, garnish with herbs and serve. This quantity will serve 2 as a main meal.

* As an option for Peter, who dislikes mustard, Luke kindly suggested I make a nuoc cham dressing instead.

The process in pictures...

Pile onto a plate, garnish and serve...

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Recipe road test appears with the kind courtesy of Luke Nguyen
If you missed the Cai Be episode of Luke Nguyen's Greater Mekong, you may be able to watch it online here thanks to SBS.
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Who are your food heroes and what's the flavour of the month at your place?
The Littlest Anchovy link
27/1/2013 12:35:01 am

This is so fresh and vibrant! Love it!

Lizzy
27/1/2013 03:51:43 pm

Thanks Anna... Vietnamese is so fresh and delicious!

Amanda link
27/1/2013 08:03:11 am

What a beautifully fresh salad, and perfect for a summers day. How lucky are we that Luke's family made that harrowing trip? Their son has contributed so much to our culinary landscape.

Lizzy
27/1/2013 03:52:08 pm

Thanks Amanda. The entire Nguyen family have contributed greatly, haven't they.

Christine link
27/1/2013 09:11:29 am

This is my favourite dish this Summer. What fabulous prawns.
Also works well with chicken.

Lizzy
27/1/2013 03:52:32 pm

Thanks Christine, I should try the chicken version.

A Canadian Foodie link
27/1/2013 09:16:27 am

What an exceptional luxury to be able to access this kind of seafood! I am in the middle of the Canadian Prairies and can make only such dishes on very special occasions to be true to my "buy-loca"l belng. That's why we stuffed ourselves with seafood and shellfish when visiting Hawaii earlier this month! YUM!!!!

Lizzy
27/1/2013 03:53:28 pm

Hi Valerie, I don't blame you for 'stuffing' yourself with seafood. There was a time in my city when you just couldn't get good quality seafood. We are indeed fortunate!

My Kitchen Stories link
27/1/2013 09:17:48 am

I saw this episode. It was very touching. What struck me at the time and again now was the use of dijon mustard, which I love but have never thought of using in a Vietnamese dish. The prawns look wonderfully fresh and so big, making that salad want to be in my stomach, even now, at breakfast time There is nothing better than this time of year when mangoes are so abundant they can be used in everything.

Lizzy
27/1/2013 03:54:24 pm

Hi there... to be totally honest, I was just as happy with the nuoc cham. However, the mustard dressing was tasty too.

InTolerant Chef link
27/1/2013 11:28:01 am

I saw that episode and it was quite moving to hear their story wasn't it? This certainly is a lovely recipe, andI think mango is a great match with the prawns for sure- yummo!

Lizzy
27/1/2013 03:54:58 pm

Hi Bec... it was very moving. So sad. Mango and prawns do marry well together, don't they.

Jane @ Shady Baker link
27/1/2013 02:25:43 pm

This looks so bright, fresh and healthy Lizzy. Yum!

Lizzy
27/1/2013 03:55:26 pm

Thanks Jane, it's such a delicious dish, perfect for the hot summer days.

Tandy link
27/1/2013 02:52:22 pm

I love that you use sustainable, local caught prawns. I've never heard of a banana prawn before so I'm off to Google it :)

Lizzy
27/1/2013 03:55:52 pm

Aha.... thanks Tandy. Banana prawns are yummy too. As are the tigers and also the king prawns.

Mandy - The Complete Cook Book link
27/1/2013 06:12:23 pm

Fabulous taste explosion.
:-) Mandy

Lizzy
28/1/2013 06:49:52 am

Indeed ; )

kellie@foodtoglow link
27/1/2013 06:42:31 pm

I have only started watching Luke's shows recently here in the UK and I have fallen in love with his cooking. I missed this episode so will have to find it. Thanks for sharing this beautiful recipe with us. I have a tricky time digesting mango but feel it will be worth it!

Lizzy
28/1/2013 06:51:00 am

Hi Kellie, I am a huge fan of Luke and Pauline Nguyen... love their food and Vietnamese features regularly on my repertoire. Mango is delicious, I hope you can enjoy it.

Glenda link
27/1/2013 07:54:14 pm

That sure looks good, Liz, and so simple.

Lizzy
28/1/2013 06:51:14 am

And so delicious, Glenda.

The Food Sage link
27/1/2013 09:08:51 pm

Mangoes and prawns were made for each other! Love the sound of this recipe. And you've tempted me to buy Luke Nguyen's Greater Mekong cookbook! Thanks Lizzy.

Lizzy
28/1/2013 06:51:31 am

It's a good investment, for sure, Rachel ; )

Kyrstie @ A Fresh Legacy link
27/1/2013 09:52:50 pm

Wow! I could jump into that plate of prawns!! What a gloriously delicious recipe :) The flavour of the month at our place (not for the kids though..) is chilli after our trip to Thailand and Malaysia and 3 cooking classes along the way I am cooking up an asian food storm :) Oh and closely closely followed by coconut.

Lizzy
28/1/2013 06:52:16 am

Chillies are the best, aren't they! It's amazing how quickly your tastebuds adjust and you can bear more and more! We are growing three little bushes again this season! Love 'em!

Eha
28/1/2013 04:05:19 pm

What a wonderful recipe I well remember from the Tv series: really appreciate the beautiful photographic journey. Hmm, there is another cookery book which my kitchen shelves seem to be asking me to get . . . . But then it is Luke Nguyen :) !

Lizzy
3/2/2013 05:55:08 pm

Hello there Eha.... wasn't it such a beautifully shot series! Yes, do it! Much to cook from. ; )

Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul link
29/1/2013 09:31:43 am

Oh this looks amazing! I do love everything in this and especially the dressing with the mustard. Def one to make!

Lizzy
30/1/2013 06:53:13 am

Thanks Peter! It tastes sooooooooo good, too!

Laura (Tutti Dolci) link
29/1/2013 04:50:46 pm

One of my favorite salads is with shrimp, mango, and raspberries. This looks delicious!

Lizzy
30/1/2013 06:53:37 am

Laura, that sounds delicious too! What is the dressing you use for that one?


Comments are closed.

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Good Things is written and published by Liz Posmyk © 2011-2020.   All rights reserved.
Excerpts may be used provided that full and clear credit is given. Thank you.


Photos used under Creative Commons from alantankenghoe, riptheskull, David Jackmanson, Amani Hasan, SuntanMidori, oropeza, Annie Mole, Vegan Feast Catering, avlxyz, jeffreyw, mockstar, jenly, Syeefa Jay, pizzodisevo (therapy - terapia - Therapie), ginnerobot, cliff1066™, Jim, the Photographer
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