Recipe: Prawn crackers

Prawn crackers are great on their own, but I like to break them into random shapes and use them as a garnish on a dish.  They are very easy to make, but they do take some time to dehydrate enough to fry.  Some methods have you rolling big logs, then cooking them and cutting slices to dry out.  This will give you regular shapes to your chips, but it also takes more time in the cooking stage and a bit of effort in the cutting stage.  If you are ok with random shapes, this method quickens the cooking and really simplifies the cutting, or even eliminates it altogether.  Ideally you want to use a vacuum sealer, but you can use a sturdy plastic bag, press the air out after rolling and seal really well with waterproof tape.  As long as you keep your ratio of prawn meat to tapioca flour right, you can size this recipe to what you have on hand - for that reason, the focus here is on technique over specific amounts.  The prawn stock is really optional - it can help make your puree smooth and add some flavour, but you will want to compensate accordingly by increasing the tapioca flour.  Make sure you use good quality prawns for a better result and so you can check your seasoning without fear.

You will need:

one part                                 peeled and deveined fresh and raw prawn meat

as needed (and optional)       prawn stock

one part                                 tapioca flour (plus more if you use stock)

to taste                                   sea salt

to taste                                   pepper (white if you want a clean look, otherwise black is fine)

Method:

 - weigh your prawn meat and take note

 - roughly chop the prawns (this helps puree it without heating it up too much)

 - in a food processor, puree the prawns very smooth - use prawn stock if desired and not how much was used

 - add an equal weight of tapioca flour to the prawn meat (and stock) and pulse to make a sticky dough

 - season with salt and pepper (you can be a bit on the generous side here)

 - divide the dough between large vacuum bags so there's room to roll the dough thin

 - seal the bags tight

 - roll the dough inside the bag to about 2mm thick

 - poach or steam about 25 minutes so the dough is fully cooked

 - cool in an ice bath

 - remove from the bag

 - cut shapes with a knife or wait and break shards later

 - dehydrate completely

 - break the sheet into pieces if you didn't cut it before

 - fry at 350F / 177C until fully puffed

 - drain on paper towel

 - season

 - serve