Name: Gochujang prawn toast rice paper pancakes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 480g raw prawns; 1 tbsp gochujang plus extra to serve; 2 tsp rice vinegar; 2 tsp toasted sesame oil; 2 large spring onions chopped, plus extra to garnish; 2 garlic cloves minced; 2 tsp grated ginger; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp cornflour; vegetable oil for frying; 6 sheets of 22cm rice paper circles; 4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; soy sauce, tamarind ketchup or dipping sauce to serve

Gochujang prawn toast rice paper pancakes cut into rectangles with dipping sauce on the side

480g raw prawns
1 tbsp gochujang
plus extra to serve
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 large spring onions
chopped, plus extra to garnish
2 garlic cloves
minced
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
vegetable oil
for frying
6 sheets of 22cm rice paper circles
4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
soy sauce, tamarind ketchup or dipping sauce
to serve

Method

step 1
Put the prawns, gochujang, vinegar, sesame oil, spring onions, garlic, ginger, soy, fish sauce and cornflour in a food processor with a good pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt. Blitz on medium speed for 1-2 mins until it forms a smooth paste, scraping down the sides halfway through. It should be thick and spreadable – add another 1-2 tbsp cornflour if it’s too thin.
step 2
Heat a 1cm depth of vegetable oil in a frying pan large enough to fit one rice paper circle. Take one sheet of rice paper, then spread an even ½cm layer of the prawn mixture all over the surface. Put another sheet of rice paper on top and press down so you have a compacted sandwich, with the filling spreading out right to the edges.
step 3
Shallow-fry the pancake for 2-3 mins on each side, flipping regularly so it doesn’t burn. When crispy on both sides and cooked through in the middle, put on a board, then sprinkle over sesame seeds, chopped spring onions and a drizzle of extra gochujang, if you like. Repeat with the rest of the prawn mixture and rice paper sheets.
step 4
Use a knife to slice the pancakes into squares or rectangles, and eat immediately while still crispy. Dip into either soy sauce, tamarind ketchup or a simple dipping sauce made by mixing soy sauce, gochujang and rice vinegar. If they are sitting around for a while, they can go soggy so revive them in an air fryer or oven for a few minutes to crisp them up again.