Prawns fried in young green rice flakes (tom chien com)

Ingredients

500 g large raw tiger prawns
300 g (10½ oz) pork paste (from Asian butcher)
150 g (5½ oz) young green rice flakes
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Instructions

Peel the body of the prawns, leaving the heads and tails intact, then devein them.

With oiled hands, take a heaped tablespoon of pork paste. Shape the paste around the body of one prawn (leaving the head and tail uncovered), pressing it tightly to coat the prawn evenly.

Repeat with the remaining paste and prawns.

Sprinkle the rice flakes on a flat tray and roll the prawns in the flakes, creating a thick coating of flakes around the pork paste.

Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds.

Add the prawns in batches, and deep-fry, for 2 minutes or until crisp.