Recipe | Prawn and avocado salad with basil and green chilli sambal

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Basil and green chilli sambal

There’s a sambal from the Manado region of Sulawesi called dabu-dabu, that I somewhat reference in this sauce. This sauce has big salsa energy and is a brilliant accompaniment to anything that could do with some freshness. The lashings of Thai basil and green basil here really bring this sauce to life, and a serious glug of rich olive oil pulls it all together. This sambal is sensational on grilled chicken or fish (even better on skewers), or as a dressing for delicate raw seafood.

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Ingredients

2 long green chillies, sliced

1 green birdseye chilli, sliced

4 Asian shallots (or 2 French shallots), thinly sliced

12 cherry tomatoes, sliced

2 teaspoons fish sauce

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon sugar

Black pepper, to taste

½ bunch green basil, picked and roughly chopped

½ bunch Thai basil, picked and roughly chopped

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Method

Combine the chillies, shallots, and cherry tomatoes in a medium bowl with the sh sauce, lime juice, olive oil, sugar and a couple of cracks of black pepper. Stir and taste, adjusting as you like. Leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes to let the avours come together and the tomato juices mingle with the sauce. Add the herbs just before serving. This sambal will keep for a day or two in an airtight container in the fridge, but will lose its punch pretty quickly. It’s best to eat it on the same day.

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