Gong Bao Prawns with Cashew Nuts (4-5)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. With a sharp knife, make a slit lengthways, through the thickest part. Put in a bowl, add the marinade ingredients and refrigerate, ideally for a few hours. Snip the chillies in half or into 2cm sections and shake out the seeds as far as possible.
  2. Cut the spring onion whites into 1cm slices. Cut the celery at an angle into diamond shapes. Mix the sauce ingredients with one and a half tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl.
  3. Heat the oil in a seasoned wok to 150C/300F (hot enough to produce a notable, though not violent,sizzle around a test prawn). Add the prawns, separating them with long cooking chopsticks or tongs, then add the celery.
  4. When the prawns are half-cooked, remove them and the celery with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  5. Carefully pour off all but about three tablespoons of the oil from the wok and return to a high flame. Add the chillies and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until the chillies are fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger and spring onion whites, and stir-fry until fragrant.
  6. Tip in the prawns and celery and stir-fry until just cooked (test a prawn to make sure). Give the sauce a stir, pour into the wok and stir to thicken and coat the prawns. Finally, stir in the cashew nuts and serve.