This is lip-smackingly delicious, with the delicate prawns in crisp batter, then tossed in a spicy sauce, while the zing of finger-lime pearls and the numbing Sichuan pepper all up the ante. The original ‘bang bang’ method is a Sichuan chicken dish (banging is part of the prep) accompanied by a spicy sauce with Sichuan peppercorns. In the West, that dish has morphed into a fried chicken dish with a spicy mayo sauce. This is my spin, using prawns rather than chicken.
rice bran oil for deep frying (at least 6-8cm deep)
6 spring onions, the white and most of the green finely sliced
10 prawn crackers, cooked and smashed to a rough powder
700g peeled and deveined green (raw) prawns
4 finger limes, split
1½ tsp crushed Sichuan peppercorns
250ml buttermilk
150g cornflour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
150g Kewpie mayonnaise*
2 tbsp sriracha
1 tsp salt flakes
*Described by advocates – who are legion and often famous – as "mayo on crack", Kewpie mayonnaise delivers a richer, fattier mouthfeel than regular mayo. It's made using egg yolks alone (not whole eggs), rice or apple vinegar and – its secret weapon – MSG.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 180C.
Mix together the mayo ingredients in one small bowl. Combine the spring onion and prawn cracker crumb in another small bowl.
Combine the batter ingredients in a large bowl.
Toss the prawns in the batter (you'll need to do this in batches so as not to crowd the fryer), then dust with the extra cornflour. Fry for about 4 minutes until golden, then drain briefly.
Once they're all cooked, toss the prawns through the mayo sauce, adding the spring onion and prawn cracker crumb.
Plate the prawns, then top with the finger lime pearls and sprinkle over the Sichuan pepper. Serve immediately.
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