Chef Peter Kuruvita's Ginger Chili Shallot Sauce Recipe

In another Masterchef Australia Masterclass episode, Celebrity Chef Peter Kuruvita, owner of the renowned Seafood restaurant -Flying Fish-  in Australia, was invited to teach the Masterchef contestants a few tips on how to cook shellfish.  In that particular episode, he prepared Marrons with Ginger Chili Shallot Sauce.  He specifically said that the sauce he's using has been used in his restaurant for years!  It's a time tested recipe that his patrons just come back for every time.  It's one of his trade secrets!  Knowing this, I couldn't wait to try the sauce and see how it tastes.  I jotted down notes and came up with this recipe for all of us to enjoy!  It's a majestic universal sauce that can be used for any shellfish.  Peter even said that it can be used for chicken.  Go ahead and give it a try!

Steamed Shrimps with Garlic Chilli Shallot Sauce

Adopted from Chef Peter Kuruvita’s Recipe (Flying Fish restaurant in Australia)

Masterchef Australia Season 2

(2 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 Kilo Prawns or Shrimps

Chilli Garlic Shallot Sauce:

3 cloves                       Garlic, peel removed, roughly chopped

2 knobs           Ginger (1 knob is the size of your thumb), roughly chopped

1/2 Cup           loosely packed chopped Coriander (Wansuy) (Include stem and roots)

1-2 stalks        Spring Onion, chopped

1/4 Cup                       Soy Sauce (Kikkoman)

1/4 Cup                       Mirin

1/4 Cup                       Sweet Chilli Sauce (Del Monte)

1/8 Cup or 2 Tablespoon         Apple Cider Vinegar (Heinz)

1 and 1/2 Tablespoon  Sesame Oil

A dash of Chilli flakes (Add more as desired)

(Sauce may be used for any Shellfish dish.  It may even be used for Chicken.  Sauce quantity is probably enough to steam 1 Kilo of Shrimps.  You may keep unused sauce stored in the fridge for a month.)

Method:

Step 1: Make the sauce

-       Rough chop all sauce ingredients and throw in a blender.

-       Blend mixture until sauce is smooth – no more chunks of ingredients visible.

-       Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare Shrimps

-       Clean and devein Shrimps.  If using small shrimps, just clean the shrimps and leave as is.  You may also opt to butterfly the shrimps or simply remove the shell in the body.  If using larger shellfish like Prawns, Marrons, and Lobsters.  You may want to split these in half before steaming.

-        

Step 3: Steam Shrimps

-       In a wok or cooking pan, layer the shrimps evenly and pour the sauce over them.

-       Cover the pan and steam the shrimps in high heat for NOT more than 10 minutes.  If using small or medium sized shrimps, 5-7 minutes should be enough.  Do not overcook shrimps and do not burn the sauce.  Sauce will lose its golden color if burnt. 

Step 4: Serve

-       Arrange Shrimps in serving dish, pour some of the sauce over and serve.  Garnish with cilantro (wansuy) leaves if desired.    

 

Lifestyle Food Australia has this to say about Peter Kuruvita:

Born in London, Peter Kurivita spent time as a child in Sri Lanka where he was introduced to the delights of cooking by watching his grandmother prepare ancient Sri Lankan dishes in her simple kitchen. A later move to Sydney led to early experience working alongside Greg Doyle at Rogues restaurant and nightclub, where Doyle introduced him to the finer side of cooking, followed by a stint at the one Michelin star Rue St Jacques in London. Peter has since worked at hotels and resorts all over the world (Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia USA; Yasawa Island Lodge, Fiji) and some of Sydney’s top restaurants (Barrenjoey House; Bilson’s; Hayman Island Resort).