Rachel Khoo: Prawn to be wild

Far-flung flavours are a mainstay for me in January. Not only do they inject a splash of colour into the darkest days of the year, but the zingy qualities of ginger, chilli and lime in South East Asian cooking are spot-on for staying healthy in winter.

Many of us escape the gloom by planning our next sunny trip at this time of year: daydreaming of barbecues on the beach and sunbathed al fresco settings. For me, this salad is a holiday in a bowl, an exotic and sunny medley of raw and cooked, spicy and sweet. This Vietnamese classic exists in a wealth of variations, so feel free to play around with it. Shredded cabbage works a treat for its colour and crunch, but carrot would also work well. Squid can be substituted for prawns.

VIETNAMESE PRAWN AND MANGO SALAD

Serves 4

1 large green mango

¼ red cabbage

1 handful of Thai basil

1 handful of mint

4 tbsp toasted peanuts, chopped

20 cooked tiger prawns, peeled

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

For the dressing:

60ml lime juice (roughly 3 limes)

1 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)

3 tsp sugar

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients in a bowl.

Peel the mango, then slice lengthways down the cheeks using a mandolin to cut into 5mm pieces. When you reach the stone, slice down the two narrow sides of the mango. Line up the slices of mango on top of one another, about six at a time, and cut lengthways into thin matchsticks. Repeat with the remaining slices. Remove the outer leaves of the red cabbage and the tough stem. Slice with a mandolin to get thin threads of cabbage. Roughly chop the herbs and toss with the cabbage and mango in a large bowl. Dress the salad, tossing in the peanuts (leaving some for final garnish).

Cut the prawns in half and scatter over the salad. Add the red chilli slices and a few more sprigs of herbs and the remaining peanuts to garnish.