seaweed crêpes with prawns
For something quick, easy and different, try this seafood crêpe, created in Malaysia.
Wear gloves and handle the nettle plants with care – they sting. Pick only the fresh young leaves at the top of the nettle. Never use a nettle that is in flower. Remove stalks and wash leaves.
Seaweed used: Nori
Serves 2 – 3 (makes 3 crêpes)
Recipe doubles easily to make 6 crêpes
For the the crêpes
3 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
6 medium sized prawns, shelled and cubed,
weight – about 55g (2oz)
3 eggs
3 teaspoons white flour, spelt works well
4 nori sheets, toasted and chopped finely
or pulsed in coffee grinder
80ml (3fl oz) water
25g (1oz) butter for cooking prawns
25g (1oz) butter or 3 teaspoons oil
for cooking crêpes
To prepare the crêpes
1. Combine 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and garlic in a small bowl to make a marinade.
2. Add prawns to marinate for about 10 minutes while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
3. Combine the eggs with the remainder of the light soy sauce and sesame oil, flour, seaweed and water and beat well or pulse in a liquidizer.
4. Remove the prawns from the marinade and fry lightly over moderate heat in butter until just barely cooked and still crunchy. Remove from the pan and keep warm
5. Add more butter or oil to the pan and add about 80ml or 1/3 of the beaten egg mixture to the pan to make a crêpe. When the bottom of the crêpe has set after about one minute, put a tablespoon – which is about 1/3 of the seasoned prawns on top of crêpes and roll it up like a sushi roll.
6. Cook over moderate heat for about 11/2 minutes, turn and cook for a further 11/2 minutes until the centre of the crêpe is fully cooked. Or you can finish cooking in a hot oven 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 if the oven is already on. Remove and keep warm.
Serve hot, garnished with green salad and a chilli dip.
Cook’s Tip
If using frozen cooked prawns leave whole, thaw, marinate but don’t fry. They will heat through when the crêpe is cooking.
When asked to contribute a recipe, enterprising seaweed fans Barry and Maggie O’Dowd went straight to the source and called up friends in Asia. Between them all they came up with this recipe. A case of too many cooks getting it just right!