FOR many cooks, coconut means tins of creamy milk or packets of the desiccated variety sitting on supermarket shelves. While these are fine for making myriad dishes, especially desserts and curries, the meat and milk from a freshly cracked coconut are infinitely sweeter and more mellow.
10 large green (raw) king prawns
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 small lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways, seeds removed and sliced diagonally
1/2 red onion, very finely sliced
6cm piece lemongrass, very finely sliced (white part only)
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bird's eye chilli, very finely chopped
handful coriander leaves
1 tbsp palm sugar
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp fried shallots (sold at Asian food stores)
1/2 cup shaved fresh coconut, toasted
Combine prawns and vegetable oil in a bowl and toss to coat. Cook on a barbecue or chargrill over medium heat for about two minutes each side or until just cooked. Shell and devein. Combine cucumbers, onion, lemongrass, tomatoes, chilli, coriander and prawns in a large bowl. Combine palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce in a small bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over salad and toss gently. Serve sprinkled with shallots and coconut.
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