Restaurateur Chef Award: Shawn McClain

Chef Shawn McClain of Spring, Custom House and Green Zebra – Chicago, IL
Adapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

Prawns:
• 1 ounce lime juice
  
• 2 ounces sweet chili sauce
  
• 1 ounce chili garlic sauce
  
• 3 ounces grapeseed oil
  
• 16 Hawaiian blue prawns, de-veined
  
  Lemongrass-Coconut Broth:
  
• 2 stalks lemongrass, thinly sliced
  
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1 ounce ginger, thinly sliced
  
• 1 ounce galangal, thinly sliced
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 2 ounces grapeseed oil
  
• ¾ ounce Thai curry paste
  
• 1 Roma plum tomato, diced
  
• 1 quart chicken stock
  
• 1 cup water
  
• 2 cups coconut cream
  
• 1 cup fish sauce
  
• Juice of 2 limes
  
• 1 kaffir lime leaf
  
  To Assemble and Serve:
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 3 ounce re-hydrated rice stick noodles
  
• 1 ounce garlic chives, blanched and cut to 1” lengths
  
• 4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
  
• 2 ounces enoki mushrooms, cut to 1” lengths

Method:
For the Prawns:
Combine lime juice, sweet chili sauce, chili garlic sauce, and grapeseed oil. Toss with prawns and reserve.

For the Lemongrass-Coconut Broth:
Sweat lemongrass, onion, ginger, galangal, and garlic in grapeseed oil for 10 minutes. Add Thai curry paste, tomato, chicken stock, water and coconut cream and bring to a boil. Transfer to a Vita-Prep and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine chinois and season with fish sauce and lime juice. Add kaffir lime leaf and reserve warm.

To Assemble and Serve:
Season prawns and place on hot grill for 2 minutes per side or until slightly opaque in the center. Remove kaffir leaf from Lemongrass-Coconut Broth and ladle a small amount in a serving bowl. Place prawns in the center of the bowl and garnish with noodles, garlic chives, and mushrooms.

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