This recipe is from Premchit in Phuket, Thailand – a destination spa devoted to wellness through diet, detoxification and other focused therapies. Premchit Prateap Na Thalang says: “Connections, between people, animals, plants, the earth, the sun; are life, past, present, future.”

Premchit blends her inherited ancestral wisdom and family secrets with her own formal education in aromatherapy from the International Federation of Aromatherapists in London, with her intuitive cuisine and perfumery skills, to create highly enjoyable and effective therapeutic Ambrosias, Elixirs, Scents and Treatments for her EXPERIENCE | PREMCHIT Natural Wellness Retreats.

Premchit Aromatic Prawns With Mango and Avocado Salad

Ingredients – Prawns:

Serves two

• 8 pieces Large Prawns (about 300 grams)
• ½ cup Shallot – fresh
• 2-1/2 tablespoon Ginger Rhizome – fresh
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon – powder
• ¾ teaspoon Black Pepper – powder
• ¼ teaspoon Chili – powder
• ¾ teaspoon Star Anise – powder
• 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
• 1 sprinkle Sea Salt – natural
• 1 tablespoon White Wine
• 2 bunch Cilantro – fresh
• 3 tablespoons Sunflower Oil – cold-pressed virgin

Ingredients – Stock

• 8 pieces Large Prawn Shells
• ½ cup Carrot – fresh
• 1/3 cup Leek – fresh
• 1 bunch Parsley – fresh
• 1 bunch Basil – fresh
• 2 cloves Garlic – fresh
• 1 piece Onion – fresh
• 1/3 teaspoon Black Pepper – powder
• 2 cups Water

Ingredients – Salad

• 1 piece Mango – fresh
• 1 piece Avocado – fresh
• ½ piece Lemon – fresh
• 1 piece Tomato – fresh
• ½ clove Garlic – fresh
• 1 sprinkle Sea Salt – natural
• 1 sprinkle Black Pepper – powder
• 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoons Sunflower Oil – cold-pressed virgin
• 6 leaves Sweet Basil – fresh
• 2 rings Red Onion – fresh
• 2 stick Cinnamon – dry
• 4 pieces Star Anise – dry

Directions – Prawns

Remove shell from the Prawns. Keep the shells for the Stock. Dice the ginger and shallot, paste with a mortar and pestle. Add the brown sugar, chili, star anise, cinnamon, sea salt, black pepper and sunflower oil, and mix well. Place prawns in pestle and mix and cover with paste to marinate. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Preheat a saucepan and add a dash of sunflower oil. Place the marinated prawns, only the prawns not the marinade, in the saucepan. When the prawns are cooked, add the white wine. Place four prawns on each plate. Place the marinade in the saucepan, stir well over heat and set aside to go with the stock.

Directions – Salad

Crush and finely dice the garlic. Remove the skin and seeds of the tomato and coarsely dice into cubes. Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed, remove the flesh in one piece from each shell, and coarsely dice into cubes.

Finely slice the basil. Place avocado back into each shell. Add in layers the tomato, garlic, sweet basil, apple cider vinegar, sunflower oil, sea salt and black pepper. Place an onion ring and a basil leaf on top of each avocado shell. Place one shell on the side of each plate.

Cut the mango in half down each side of the seed. Cut a grid pattern in the flesh of each half. Place one half on the side of each plate. Decorate with cinnamon stick and star anise. Slice the lemon very thin and place half of the slices on the side of each plate.

Place the carrots, leeks, onions and place in a pot with the water, prawn shells, black pepper, basil and parsley. Simmer with low heat for 20 minutes. While simmering, make the prawns and salad. Strain and pour ¾ cup of stock into the saucepan containing the marinade. Heat and stir until thick to make a sauce. Place the sauce on top of the prawns. Decorate with cilantro.

Enjoy!