Copycat Lotus of Siam Thai Garlic Prawns Recipe – FOOD is Four Letter Word (2024)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

Method

• 1)

  Gently separate the shell from the body of the prawns – you want the shells to stay whole if possible. You can either pull the shell off completely or just pull it away from the body so it’s still attached to the prawn at the tail.

• 2)

  In a large bowl, add 1½ Teaspoon of Fish Sauce & ½ Teaspoon Oyster Sauce, stir to combine. Gently toss prawns in the marinade to coat evenly and set aside.

• 3)

  In a skillet pan add 4 Teaspoons of Palm Oil or Vegetable Oil and heat on med-low. Add 10 finely minced Garlic Cloves, ½ Teaspoon of finely minced Coriander Root, 1 Teaspoon of coarse ground Black Pepper and 1 Teaspoon of Brown Sugar – sauté the mixture for about 2-3 minutes. You want the garlic to be cooked, but you don’t want it to brown so keep a close eye on it. Turn off the heat and set aside.

• 4)

  In a large bowl or large Tupperware container add ½ Cup Tapioca Starch, ¼ Cup All Purpose Flour, ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda and ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt – mix well. Add the prawns and coat them well with the flour mixture. I usually use a Tupperware container, I seal lid and gently shake to get an even coating on all the prawns and shells.

• 5)

  Heat about 2-3 inches of rice bran oil or frying oil in a large heavy pot so it reaches 375°F (I used my 7 Qt Le Crueset dutch oven since it retains the heat well) – use a deep fry or candy thermometer to monitor the temperature, if the oil doesn’t reach the correct temp, the prawns will not be crispy.

• 6)

  Once the oil reaches 375°F, shake off any excess coating on the prawns and fry 9 prawns at a time (or less if the prawns don’t fit in a single layer). It usually only takes a little over a minute for the prawns to get golden brown. After you’re done with the first batch, place the prawns on a rack so the excess oil can drip off. Let the frying oil get back to 375°F before frying the next batch of prawns.

• 7)

  Toss the fried prawns in the garlic sauce and coat them well. Garnish with cilantro and Enjoy!

↓ Supplies to make this recipe ↓

3 Comments

• Jane

  May 27, 2020 at 12:48 pm

  These prawns sound intriguing. Are we supposed to eat the shells?

  Reply

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  1. Van

     June 1, 2020 at 11:51 am

     Yes, you eat the shells, they become crispy like chips.

     Reply

• Natasha

  January 10, 2022 at 6:38 pm

  These were delicious! I tried one batch with a single fry, one with a double, and didn’t really detect a difference (they were eaten so fast I couldn’t tell if the double fry made the crunch last longer or not). I did add some soy, rice vinegar, more sugar, and a cornstarch slurry to the sauce–imo, it needs a little I don’t know what. I’m more interested in the fried shrimp aspect but finding my favorite sauce for them is going to be my passion project this year. Love Lotus of Siam, but I thought these were actually crunchier. Thank you so much for the recipe!

  Reply