Kailan soup with shrimp and prawn crackers

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 10 shrimp(s), raw, peeled, without tail, approx. 18 cm, frozen
• some garlic butter for frying
• 100 g Kailan (Chinese broccoli), approx. 15 cm in size (alternatively spinach or broccoli)
• 40 g carrot(s)
• 30 g onion(s), red, small
• 10 g garlic clove(s)
• 15 g ginger
• 1 small chili pepper(s), green
• 2 tbsp sesame oil, light, for frying
• 280 g coconut water
• 3 g vegetable stock powder
• 2 tbsp shrimp flour, red
• 3 tbsp light fish sauce (kecap ikan)
• 1 pinch(s) black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp tapioca flour
• 2 tbsp rice wine, dark, spicy-mild
• 10 crab chips (Krupuk Udang), unfried

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

An appetizer or snack from modern Balinese cuisine in Indonesia.

Thaw the shrimp. Use a sharp knife to make a lengthwise incision along the back about 5 mm deep. If visible, remove the dark gray intestine completely. Wash the fresh kailan and separate the leaves from the stem. Cut a 1 cm cut off the bottom of the stem. Peel the section from the second leaf downwards and cut crosswise into approximately 6 mm thick slices. Separate the thin leaf stalks from the leaves along the midrib and chop the leaves. Cut the leaf stalks crosswise into approximately 1 cm long pieces. Wash the carrot, cut off both ends, and peel. Score it 5 to 7 times from the top downwards, about 3 mm deep. Cut crosswise into approximately 4 mm thick slices (flower shape). Peel the onions, garlic cloves, and ginger and cut into small cubes. Cut the washed chili crosswise into thin slices. Leave the seeds. Mix all the ingredients for the broth in a casserole dish (with a lid). Add the kailan and carrots. For the prawn crackers, heat 1.5 liters of frying oil in a wok to 190°C. Add the raw krupuk udang pieces, one at a time, to the hot oil. Use a slotted spoon to keep the pieces submerged. Dip the krupuk again briefly to allow them to fully rise, then immediately remove them from the oil and drain well. Stack the finished prawn crackers in a large serving dish. Heat the sesame oil in a smaller pan. Add the onions, garlic cloves, ginger, and chili and fry until the onions begin to color. Deglaze with a little of the stock and add the mixture to the stock. Bring the stock to a simmer. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Melt the garlic butter in a pan over moderate heat. Add the prawns and fry on both sides over moderate heat until light white to pink. Divide the finished stock among the serving dishes, place the prawns on top, and drizzle with the melted butter. Serve with the prawn crackers and enjoy. Enjoy! Notes: When buying Krupuk Udang, “cheap is good” is a completely wrong approach. The flour ingredients are tapioca, sago, or corn flour, and according to Wikipedia, also household waste, although this term is interpreted very broadly and presumably refers to shrimp shells that are processed into flour. The shrimp ingredients consist of fresh or cooked shrimp and silversides (this also includes anchovies and sardines). In Europe, a package insert must be included. You should study it carefully and ask for details if necessary. They originally come from Indonesia, the best from the provinces (islands) of Flores, Sumba, and Sumbawa. Now the packaging here simply says “Packaged in Jakarta by PT…”, which I think could also contain Chinese goods or household waste…