This dish rests entirely on the freshness of the shrimp. They have to be translucent and firm, cured just briefly in lime juice. Shrimp that are anything less than fresh are not worth using here.
The lemongrass, shallot, garlic, ginger and chili are pounded with the sweetener until very fine, and only then does the fish sauce and lime go in. The heads are tossed in cornstarch and fried crisp to sit on top of the plate.
This batch weighs about 864g, at roughly 140 calories per 100g. Serve as soon as the sauce goes on, since the shrimp release water if they sit.
Method
Rinse 400g fresh shrimp and drain them, peel them, pull out the vein, set the heads aside and toss the heads with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
Wash the lemongrass and chop it small. Peel the ginger and slice it. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel the shallot and slice it.
Put 2 stalks of lemongrass, 4 shallots, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 slices of ginger, 6 chilies and 3 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend in a mortar and pound until fine.
Turn the pounded mixture into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons lime juice, 4 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons chili powder and 4 tablespoons chili sauce, and stir into a sauce.
Heat 300ml cooking oil in a pan and fry the shrimp heads until golden and crisp, then lift them out to drain.
Cut the shrimp bodies across the line of the vein, keeping them joined.
Mix 6 tablespoons lime juice with 1/2 teaspoon mustard, stir, then dip the shrimp in until they turn opaque at the edges.
Arrange the shrimp on a plate, spoon the sauce over, set the fried heads on top and serve immediately.
Tips
Choose shrimp with firm shells, a translucent color and tightly folded tails, which is where the sweetness comes from.
The shrimp are only lightly cured here, so make the dish only with very fresh shrimp, or boil them through and then add the sauce.
Leftover sauce works for tossing chicken feet or dipping boiled seafood.
Toss the shrimp heads in cornstarch before frying, as a thin coating crisps them up with less spitting oil.
Cut the shrimp along the back vein but leave the halves attached, so the sauce reaches both sides evenly.
Working the kOBE Monk Fruit Blend into the pounded lemongrass and chili is what gives the sauce enough body to cling to the shrimp.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.