Hello black rice, nice to meet you. Let’s get to know each other.
Image may be NSFW.
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You seem so familiar but mysterious at the same time, everyday but exotic.
The purple-gray residue left on my pots wasn’t so cool, but luckily it washed off right quick. Not an ideal trait to bring into my kitchen, but forgivable.
Black rice is fabulously nutty. I do love a fabulously nutty character or two. And it is friends with shrimp? Black rice and I will get along just fine.
Getting to know a new ingredient is such fun.
Prawn and Black Rice Salad with Vietnamese Dressing
(Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer)
For the dressing
2 cloves of garlic
2 Thai chilis
1 1/2 inch knob of ginger
3 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 Cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
For the salad
250 grams black rice
1 Tbsp butter
500 grams raw prawns
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Directions
- To make the dressing, finely mince the garlic, chilis and ginger.
- Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl and let it steep while putting together the rest of the salad.
- In a saucepan (that has a lid) combine 1 3/4 Cups water, the rice and a pinch of salt. Bring the contents up to a boil, then cover with the lid and reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the rice from the hob and let it stand covered for approximately 5 minutes before fluffing it with a fork.
- Saute the prawns in a pan with the butter, lemon and garlic until just opaque and still very tender.
- If you’re planning on eating this warm, follow the remaining steps immediately. If you’re planning on eating the salad cool (my preference, personally) let the rice and prawns cool.
- Stir the sauce and spoon a little bit over the rice. A little goes a long way. Toss and taste is the best method. Tumble the prawns into the salad once you’re happy with the amount of dressing.
I’m pretty sure this salad is intended to be eaten cold. When I read the recipe, though, I somehow got the impression you could eat it hot. Cold is definitely the way to go, I think, though it isn’t too shabby warm.
When I first made the dressing/sauce I found it really intensely salty, so my recipe uses a fair amount of water more than Nigella’s version; but I still used a little less than half of what the recipe made. Maybe I was a little salt sensitive that day, but if you just add slowly, you will be able to adjust to how you like it.
Where I was quite enamored with the nuttiness and bite of the black rice, Mr was less enthused than I was. He really liked the prawns, though.
This time last year: Beet Towers with Blue Cheese Mousse
And the year before that: Our First Kitchen