Crispy batter, juicy prawns and the sweetness of pineapple = wicked prawn pineapple burgers. Big juicy pineapple rings contrast beautifully with the crispy beer batter that gives way to big pink prawns. Add in some crunchy lettuce and a wee kick of chilli and you have the ultimate weekend burger; best enjoyed with a couple of cold ones. The beer batter here is from The Forest Cantina’s beautiful first cookbook. It is light, crispy and the perfect coating for anything: fish, prawns, calamari strips or even vegetables. It’s best to use a chilled lager, not a super hopped craft beer which could over power the prawns and ultimately the burger. Get all the ingredients for the prawn pineapple burgers assembled before you start deep frying the prawns. The pot will require your full attention, so make certain there are no distractions.
I like to grill the fresh pineapple on the BBQ, caramelise the natural sugars on the outside. Be certain to cut the woody middle of each pineapple slice; it can be a nasty surprise when digging into these burgers. At a pinch, you could used canned pineapple but do drain it well. This is also not the burger for fancy curly lettuce. You want a crisp, clean crunch. It is worth noting that these flavours are also fabulous in fresh tacos or as part of a picking platter if you’ve got friends around.
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 3/4 cup flour
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 220ml chilled beer
- 4x burger buns, cut in half
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 can of pineapple chunks
- 2x chilli sliced
- 1x spring onion, thinly sliced
- 500gm raw prawns, de-tailed and deveined
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Hot sauce, optional
- Iceberg lettuce
Instructions
Beat the egg white until stiff and set aside. Combine the flour, salt and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk in the beer, about two thirds, little by little. Then fold through the egg white. If you need to add more beer, add the rest so the batter is really thick. Chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes, while you prep everything else.
Lightly toast your burger buns and then spread the each bun lightly with mayonnaise. Grill your pineapple slices until slightly charred. Lay these on top of the mayonnaise and scatter with sliced chilli and spring onions.
Heat the oil in the biggest pot you have over a medium to high heat. The oil shouldn't come further than halfway up the pot. Heat the oil to 190 degrees. Dip each prawn into the batter and tap off the excess batter. Carefully drop into the oil, working quickly to get a couple of prawns into the oil at the same time. After 4 minutes or so, when the prawns are golden brown, remove the oil. Drain on paper towels and season immediately with sea salt. Repeat with the rest of the prawns until all fried. Then place pineapple chunks on top, add lettuce and a little hot sauce. Put your top bun on and dig in!
