Caramelised peanut nahm jim with scallops

Use a mortar and pestle to make this nahm jim. The pestle bruises and ruptures the cells of the garlic, coriander, chilli and galangal, releasing more aromatic compounds than possible in a food processor, leading to a much more flavoursome sauce.

Caramelised peanut nahm jim with scallops Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 coriander roots, washed
• 4 long green chilli, seeds removed and chopped
• 4 green birds eye chillies
• 1 x 3 cm knob galangal or ginger, peeled
• ¼ cup (60 ml) fish sauce
• 300 ml lime juice
• 12 scallops in the half shell, to serve
• vegetable oil, for the scallops
• salt and black pepper
• spring onions, julienned, to serve

Peanut praline

• 60 g palm sugar
• 1 tbsp (20 ml) water
• 40 g salted peanuts

Instructions

1. To make the praline; in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the palm sugar and about a tablespoon of water. Swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar and cook until you reach a caramel colour before adding the peanuts. Coat the nuts in caramel, then pour onto a paper-lined baking tray and allow to set at room temperature.
2. In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, coriander, chillies and galangal to a uniform paste.
3. Break up the praline, add to the mortar and pound into the paste. Add the fish sauce and lime juice, mix thoroughly. The dressing should taste hot, sweet, sour and salty. Add more palm sugar or fish sauce to your liking.
4. Oil and season the scallops. Heat a large frying pan or chargrill pan and cook the scallops. Serve in the half shell with the nahm jim and garnish with spring onion.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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