I prefer to use a full-bodied stout like Guinness; it has a hint of spicy Worcestershire sauce aromas, subtle coffee-toffee flavours and a chocolatey finish. These Guinness-battered prawns are always a hit — they’ll disappear just as quickly as you take them out of the hot oil!

Ingredients

225g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
pinch ground black pepper
330ml guinness draught beer
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
500g raw prawns, peeled and deveined
pinch cayenne pepper
Wasabi mayonnaise

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl. Gradually pour in the Guinness and whisk everything together until well combined; it should be a light and frothy batter with no lumps. Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 20 minutes.
Pour the vegetable oil into a medium saucepan until about half full, then heat the oil to 190°C over medium–high heat. Test to see if the oil is hot enough by dipping a wooden chopstick into the hot oil — if the oil starts steadily bubbling around the chopstick, it’s ready. Working in batches, dip the prawns in the batter, then carefully drop them into the hot oil and deep-fry for 1 minute, or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and serve with wasabi mayo.

This recipe appears courtesy of Cooked.com.au.

This first appeared in Have You Eaten? by Billy Law.