Kroepoek Oedang (Prawn Crackers)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor
• •Steamer or wide pot with rack
• •Sharp slicing knife or mandoline
• •Dehydrator or wire racks
• •Heavy pan and thermometer for frying
• •Spider or slotted spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the paste

   Pat the prawns very dry, then pulse them in a food processor with the garlic, salt, sugar, and white pepper until you have a sticky paste. Add the tapioca starch and pulse again until the mixture gathers into a firm, tacky dough. If it stays crumbly, add cold water one teaspoon at a time. You want clay, not batter.

2. 2

   Shape the logs

   Dust your hands and board with tapioca starch, then divide the dough into two logs about 4 centimetres thick. Roll them firmly so there are no air pockets hiding inside; those pockets become weak spots later. Wrap each log tightly in parchment, then in foil, twisting the ends like a sweet wrapper.

3. 3

   Steam until firm

   Set the wrapped logs in a steamer over simmering water and steam for 50 to 60 minutes, until they feel firm all the way through. Let them cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The chilling is not fussiness. A warm log smears under the knife; a cold one slices cleanly, and clean slices dry evenly.

   If you do not have a steamer, set a heatproof plate on a small rack inside a wide pot with a few centimetres of water below it. Keep the water below the plate and the lid on.
4. 4

   Slice and dry

   Unwrap the chilled logs and slice them as thinly as you can, about 1 to 2 millimetres. Lay the slices in a single layer on racks. Dry them in a dehydrator at 55C for 8 to 10 hours, or in a very low oven with the door slightly ajar, until the slices are hard, pale, and brittle. They must snap rather than bend. Bendable kroepoek is unfinished business.

5. 5

   Fry to puff

   Heat 5 to 7 centimetres of neutral oil in a heavy pan to 180C. Fry 3 or 4 dried slices at a time, pressing them gently under the oil if needed. They should balloon and turn ivory within 5 to 10 seconds. Lift them out at once with a spider or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. If they brown, the oil is too hot or you waited too long.

6. 6

   Serve crisp

   Serve the kroepoek the same day, piled high beside sambal or at the edge of a rijsttafel. They should be dry, light, and crisp under the teeth, with the prawn flavour arriving after the first crackle. Salt only if you must; the sea is already in the dough.

Chef Tips

• •Use raw prawns, not cooked ones. Cooked prawns give a duller paste and less spring; the steaming step cooks the prawn exactly where it belongs, inside the dough.
• •Drying is the whole discipline. If a slice bends, it will fry heavy and oily. If it snaps cleanly, it will bloom.
• •Store the dried, unfried slices in an airtight tin for up to one month. Fry only what you need, because finished kroepoek loses its crispness quickly in a damp kitchen.
• •For a dinner party, fry them shortly before guests sit down. Kroepoek is a welcome, not a leftover. Put the bowl on the table and let the conversation begin.

Advance Preparation

• •The prawn logs can be steamed and chilled one day before slicing.
• •The dried, unfried crackers can be made up to one month ahead and kept airtight in a cool, dry cupboard.
• •Fry on the day of serving, preferably within a few hours of eating, so the crackers stay properly crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 7g)