Shrimps

Shrimp paste
This Thai ingredient is made from fermented, salted shrimps that are pounded into a concentrated paste, but it must be cooked and not used in its raw state. Once opened, you need to store it in the fridge with a tight lid on and place it in a polythene bag, as it has quite a strong aroma. But that said, it helps to give a wonderful authentic flavour to Thai recipes.

Dried shrimps
These have lots of concentrated shrimp flavour, unlike tired and tasteless frozen prawns, which have no value at all. They are available in oriental shops, but have only a short shelf life – about 4 weeks – so buy them in small quantities and keep them refrigerated. They need to be soaked in hot water for 15 minutes before using. Dried shrimps are available by mail order from Wing Hong Co Ltd, tel: 0191 233 1800.

Related recipes to look at:

Pad Thai Noodles with Shrimps