NEW YEAR party

Celebrate in style with our fabulous bowl food

- LOUISE PICKFORD

Salt and pepper prawns with sweet potato wedges

The homemade chilli sauce is the key to this recipe. If you like, swap the prawns for veggies or halloumi.

Serves 4 Prep 30 mins. Cook 50 mins

1 Make the sweet chilli jam ahead of time. Put the chillies, garlic and ginger in a food processor, blend to a rough paste and transfer to a saucepan. Add the vinegar, sugar and 1tsp salt, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10-15 mins until thickened. Cool completely, bottle and store in the fridge. Use as required (this can be made several days ahead).

2 Heat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas 6 and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Scrub the sweet potatoes and pat dry. Cut into wedges and spread out onto the prepared baking tray. Add the oil, some salt and pepper and stir well to coat. Roast for 45-50 mins, turning from time to time, until evenly browned.

3 Meanwhile, butterfly the prawns. Using a small sharp knife, cut down the back of each prawn, discarding the black vein if necessary, without cutting all the way through. The prawns should be able to open out flat.

4 Put the remaining salt, white pepper and 5 spice mix in a frying pan. Heat over a medium flame, shaking the pan slightly to heat the spice mix until fragrant, about 1 min. Transfer to a shallow dish and add the sugar. Stir well.

5 Heat 5cm of vegetable oil in a wok or deep frying pan until it reaches 180C on a sugar thermometer (or a cube of bread turns golden in 20 secs). Taking 4-5 prawns at a time, dip them into the cornflour to lightly coat, then gently add to the hot oil. Fry for 2 mins, until they curl up and are crisp and pale golden.

6 Drain the prawns on some kitchen paper and dust with the spice mix. Repeat with the remaining prawns.