Title: Thai Barbecued Stuffed Prawns
Categories: Thai Seafood Ceideburg
Yield: 8 Servings

16		To 20 bamboo skewers, 8-inches or longer
1/2	ts	Chopped fresh coriander roots *
1/4	ts	Black pepper-corns
2		Garlic cloves, peeled
1/2	ts	Sugar
	pn	Salt
2	ts	Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1	tb	Coarsely chopped coriander leaves
1/4	lb	Ground chicken, or moderately fatty ground pork
1	lb	Jumbo prawns (16 to 20 per pound) with the shell
		Vegetable oil for barbecuing
SWEET AND SOUR CUCUMBER SALA
4	tb	White vinegar
4	tb	Sugar
1	ts	Salt
4	tb	Water
1/2		Cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1	ts	Dried shrimp powder with chili (optional)
1/2	tb	Fish sauce (nam pla)
2	ts	Fresh coriander leaves, minced

* (if not available, use the stems)

Here's my first attempt at scanning recipes using my new OCR stuff. Not bad. It just took me about three times as long to diddle with the scanned image as it would have to type it in... Ah well, practice makes perfect. ;-}

In Thai cooking, a pounded paste fresh coriander roots, black pepper corns and garlic makes a popular and useful spice mixture. This Thai trio-spice paste is used in the same way as Italian pesto to season stuffings, smear over meats as a marinade, or saute in oil to flavor stir-fried dishes. In this recipe, it serves to flavor the stuffing.

Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

Keep the coriander bunch tied together and rinse it in a pan of cold water by dunking it up and down to dislodge the sand. Drain thoroughly and spin dry in a lettuce drier. Cut off the roots, including about 1 inch of the stem above the root; chop coarsely and set aside.

To make the spice paste, pound the pepper corns in a mortar, or grind in a spice mill Add the garlic, coriander roots, sugar and salt; pound or grind into a smooth paste.

Combine the spice paste, fish sauce, coriander leaves and chicken.

Mix well.

To devein and butterfly the prawns, make a 1/2 inch deep cut through the shell along the back with kitchen scissors.Pull out the black vein (the alimentary canal). Rinse prawns under cold running water and dry thoroughly.

Starting from the tail end, thread the prawns lengthwise onto the skewers, ending at the head end. Spread open the 1/2-inch deep cut and stuff with about a teaspoonful of chicken paste; smooth the surface.

Repeat with remaining prawns.

Lightly brush prawns with oil. Grill over a medium-hot fire for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until they turn bright orange and feel firm to the touch. They may also be broiled. Serve with Sweet-Sour Cucumber Salad.

SWEET AND SOUR CUCUMBER SALAD:

Combine the vinegar, sugar , salt and water in a small bowl; stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Put the cucumber slices in a shallow bowl, sprinkle with shrimp powder and fish sauce, then pour in the sweet vinegar to cover. Top with coriander leaves.

Makes 8 servings.

San Francisco Chronicle, 10/14/92.

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; October 18 1992.

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