Vietnamese Seafood Salad

From the Red Bridge Cooking School, Hoi-An, Vietnam. If you don't have green papaya, you can use green mango, or lotus root, or carrot, or cucumber.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Pan Mixture

• 2  teaspoons  vegetable oil
• 1  tablespoon  thinly sliced shallot
• 100  g  prawns
• 100  g  thinly sliced squid
• 1  teaspoon  thinly sliced gingerroot
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper

• Salad Mixture

• 1  cup  of grated papaya
• 2  sliced long red chilies (deseeded)
• 2  teaspoons sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  limes, juice of or 1  lemon, juice of
• 1  cup  of mixed mint (Vietnamese and Standard)
• 2  tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Stir fry shallots in oil until lightly brown, add prawns and cook for 1 minute. Add squid and ginger and continue to cook 3-4 minutes, add black pepper at the end and remove from heat into a large bowl.
2. Add the papaya and chilli together, add to the seafood mixture. Combine the sugar, salt and juice together until dissolved. Pour over the salad and mix well.
3. Just before serving, add the toasted sesame seeds and mint, toss lightly, serve with crispy rice paper or prawn crackers. (Don't add too early or else the seeds will go soft and the mint will turn black).