Name: Prawn & melon salad
Prep time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 garlic clove; a handful of coriander stems or roots; 1 tsp golden caster sugar; 1 red chilli deseeded, plus 1 tsp chopped to garnish; 2cm/¾in piece of root ginger peeled and roughly chopped; juice of 3 limes and 1½ oranges; 1 small watermelon weighing about 1.8kg/4lb; 24 large cooked and peeled tiger prawns; 4 spring onions finely sliced; 2 trimmed stems of lemongrass finely sliced; 4cm/1½in root ginger peeled, cut into fine matchsticks; zest of 1 lime; 3 lime leaves shredded (optional); a handful each of coriander and mint leaves, chopped; 100g roasted salted peanuts or cashews, to garnish

For the dressing

1 garlic clove
a handful of coriander stems
or roots
1 tsp golden caster sugar
1 red chilli
deseeded, plus 1 tsp chopped to garnish
2cm/¾in piece of root ginger
peeled and roughly chopped
juice of 3 limes
and 1½ oranges

For the salad

1 small watermelon
weighing about 1.8kg/4lb
24 large cooked and peeled tiger prawns
4 spring onions
finely sliced
2 trimmed stems of lemongrass
finely sliced
4cm/1½in root ginger
peeled, cut into fine matchsticks
zest of 1 lime
3 lime leaves
shredded (optional)
a handful each of coriander and mint
leaves, chopped
100g roasted salted peanuts
or cashews, to garnish

Method

step 1
Three hours before serving: make the dressing. Put the garlic and coriander in a food processor with 1 tsp salt and the sugar, then pulse to a pulp. Add the chilli, ginger and citrus juices and pulse until smooth. Cover and chill.
step 2
Two hours before serving: cut the watermelon into segments, remove the skin and seed the flesh. Cut into lozenges about 3cm wide.
step 3
Mix the melon and prawns and add the spring onions, lemongrass, ginger, lime zest and lime leaves. Chill.
step 4
To serve: toss the dressing and herbs into the salad and scatter with chilli and peanuts.