Name: Papaya Salad with Marinated Beef Fillet
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 400g beef fillet sliced thinly; 2 tbsp crispy shallots; 2 tbsp roasted peanuts; Rice crackers; For the marinade:; 1 tsp fish sauce; ½ tsp ground black pepper; 2 tbsp palm sugar; 1 tsp five spice powder; ½ tsp dried chilli flakes; 2 lemongrass finely chopped and pounded in a pestle and mortar; 8 cloves garlic, crushed in a pestle and mortar; 2 tsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tsp shrimp paste; 2 tsp caramel; For the papaya salad:; 120g shredded papaya; 1 carrot shredded; 1 cup of mint, coriander and Thai basil; For the salad dressing:; Juice and zest of 1 lime; 2 tsp palm sugar; 1 tsp fish sauce; ½ tbsp shallot oil; 1 tbsp mild red chilli and garlic pounded together to make a paste; To make the crispy shallots and oil:; 250ml oil; 100g eschalion/banana shallots

1. Put all the ingredients for the marinade into a mixing bowl and add the beef. Combine thoroughly and allow the meat to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. You can either pan fry the meat or grill until just done.

3. In a separate bowl, put the papaya, carrots, and two-thirds of the herbs and toss lightly.

4. To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into a small bowl and mix thoroughly to allow the sugar to dissolve.

5. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

6. To make the crispy shallots, peel the shallots and slice thinly.

7. Place in a preheated oven 100C for 15minutes leaving the door slightly ajar.

8. Once the shallots are dried remove from the oven and set aside. (Switch for pre-prepped shallots)

9. Heat the oil until it’s warm not hot, and gently fry the shallots over a low heat for approximately 10 minutes or until they start to turn a light brown colour.

10. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper until they cool down completely.

11. Store in an airtight container which will keep the shallots crisp.

12. The shallot oil can be strained into a jar and kept in a cool place. This will keep for a month.

13. Heap the salad on to individual plates, scatter the remaining herbs along with the crispy shallots and peanuts. Serve with rice crackers.