Chef Sam Cheung · Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant

Stuffed Tomatoes with Ground Prawns

Serves 6 to 8

SUN SUI WAH is a second-generation restaurant, based on a renowned Chinese eating establishment of the same name in Hong Kong. Vancouverites and visitors to the city flock to this fine-dining restaurant for dim sum and seafood dishes, including Alaska King Crab sumptuously prepared in multiple courses. Now considered one of the top ten places for Asian food in Vancouver, the extensive menu features lavish dishes made from live seafood and local, seasonal products.

Prawns, when seasoned and ground to a paste, are called ha gaw by Chinese chefs, not to be confused with the shrimp dumplings called ha gou. This is the esteemed filling for quite a few Cantonese delicacies, such as stuffed crab claws, stuffed mushrooms and stuffed oysters.

1 lb prawns, cleaned, deveined and cut in ½-inch dice

½ tsp salt

1 tsp white sugar

½ tsp freshly ground white pepper

1 egg white, beaten

1 Tbsp tapioca flour

6 to 8 Roma tomatoes, halved horizontally

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp tomato paste

¼ cup chicken stock

1 tsp red rice vinegar

1 Tbsp raw crabmeat, picked over for cartilage

1 Tbsp chopped green onions, white and green parts

IN A MEDIUM bowl, combine prawns with salt, ½ tsp of the sugar, white pepper, egg white and tapioca flour until well coated. Transfer the prawn mixture to a large, thick cutting board and, using the back of a cleaver or a meat pounder, grind for about 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes a paste. (Manually grinding the prawns rather than blitzing them in the food processor gradually releases the fat, which makes the paste fluffier and more elastic and allows it to bind better.) Transfer the prawn paste to a bowl and set aside.

Using a teaspoon, gently scoop out tomato seeds and pulp, leaving ¼ inch of pulp around the sides and ½ inch at the base. Discard the seeds and tomato pulp (or reserve them for another use). Evenly fill each tomato half with shrimp paste, gently pressing it down with the teaspoon.

Place the cornstarch on a small, shallow plate. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat vegetable oil on medium-high. Lightly dip the prawn side of the stuffed tomatoes into the cornstarch to coat the surface. Shake off any excess and place prawn side down in the pan. When all tomatoes are in the pan, pan-fry for another 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to medium-low and allow them to cook while you prepare the sauce.

In a medium bowl, combine tomato paste, chicken stock, vinegar and the remaining ½ tsp sugar. Using a whisk, whip for 45 seconds, then slowly add to the pan, cover and cook for 1 minute. Add crabmeat, bring to a gentle boil and reduce the heat to medium.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining cornstarch with 2 Tbsp cold water. Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the pan and cook for 20 to 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens. Transfer tomatoes and crabmeat sauce to a deep serving dish, sprinkle with green onions andserve hot.