Name: Spirit House’s prawn stir-fry with green peppercorns and krachai
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min

Spirit House’s prawn stir-fry with green peppercorns and krachai

This prawn stir-fry from the Sunshine Coast's Spirit House restaurant packs a punch with chilli and aromatic krachai, also known as wild ginger.

Prep

20M

Cook

Total

25M

“I love the prawn stir-fry at Spirit House and would love to make it myself. Would you publish the recipe?”

Barnaby Green, Yaroomba, Qld

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Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil

8 large king prawns (360 gm), peeled, deveined, heads and tails intact (see note)

4 kaffir lime leaves, torn, plus extra, very thinly sliced, to serve

3 long red chillies, cut diagonally into 4cm-5cm pieces

25 gm fresh green peppercorns (see note)

25 gm krachai, peeled, finely sliced (see note)

1½ tsp caster sugar

1½ tbsp oyster sauce

1½ tsp fish sauce

1 cup (loosely packed) Thai basil leaves

½ cup (loosely packed) coriander

Lime cheeks (optional) and steamed rice, to serve

Stir-fry paste

25 gm krachai, peeled, chopped (see note)

Finely grated rind of 1 lime

6 birdseye chillies, stems removed, chopped

3 coriander roots, washed, dried, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp fresh green peppercorns (from 4-5 stems; optional)

Buds from 1 bunch of Thai basil (6-7 stems)

Method

Main

1.For stir-fry paste, pound ingredients and a pinch of freshly ground white pepper with a mortar and pestle to a fine paste.

2.Heat vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Add paste and stir-fry until fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute). Add prawns, kaffir lime leaves, chillies, peppercorns, krachai and sugar, and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add oyster sauce, fish sauce and 60ml water and stir-fry until prawns are just cooked (2-3 minutes). Add three-quarters of the Thai basil and coriander leaves, reserving remainder for garnish.

3.Transfer to serving plates, scatter with remaining Thai basil, coriander and kaffir lime leaves, and serve with lime cheeks and rice.

Spirit House uses Mooloolaba king prawns. Fresh green peppercorns are available at Thai grocers. Fresh krachai, wild ginger, is available from Thai grocers; if it’s unavailable, substitute fresh ginger, or krachai in brine, sold at Thai grocers, and soak it in cold water before use.
Notes

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Styling by Lisa Featherby