The Ultimate Seafood Experience: Cooking Live Prawns Like a Pro

Do you like eating seafood but need more skills to prepare it properly at home? If you read this post, we will make it "shrimp-le" for you; you will be able to prepare live prawns like the most skilled chef in the world.

First things first, let's clear up any confusion by making a distinction between shrimp and prawns. The animal's size is a decent rule of thumb to distinguish between the two since prawns are usually giant than shrimp. If you want to know what kind of crab you bought without having to take a trip out on a shrimp boat, all you have to do is look at the shell. In the case of a shrimp, the second segment should overlap the first and third segments. You're looking at a prawn if the segments meet in the middle of the abdomen.

Both prawns and shrimp have a flavor that is quite similar to one another. However, prawns are often thought of as having a somewhat sweeter taste. The most noticeable difference in taste is probably caused by the fact that prawns are often larger than shrimp, and as a result, they have a more fantastic ratio of meat to shell. This implies that the taste will be able to permeate more of the surface area of the food.

The question now is, how do you prepare this little one? The answer to that question is going to be different depending on the kind of cooking technique that you choose for this cuisine, but in general:

When it comes to the shell, keeping it on throughout cooking is not required, but it does allow the prawns to remain moist, soft, and flavorful in the center. You may remove the shells immediately before eating them or remove them before you start cooking if you prefer.

In addition, the best way to get live prawns is to do so directly from a trawler. When purchasing seafood exhibited atop a mountain of ice, you, unfortunately, cannot ensure that it will be of the same high quality. You have yet to learn how long it has been on display at that location to provide just one example. Who knows, they could have been frozen and thawed a few times. It is even preferable just to purchase prawns that have been frozen.

Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight when it is time to prepare them for use. Put them in a bag, then set them in a sink full of water for five to ten minutes. The bag is essential because it stops the prawns from soaking in the water and becoming mushy due to this process.

Remembering the significance of a skillet in the kitchen is also essential. Because prawns need room to "breathe" while being cooked, the ideal pan is large enough to hold all of the prawns without crowding them. Because of this gap, each prawn can come into touch with the pan, which contributes to producing an excellent sear and ensures that they are cooked thoroughly and uniformly.

Fried prawns

Use items that have been finely chopped to ensure that your supper is ready in a flash when you make pan-fried prawns. Prepare the prawns in a skillet with butter, finely chopped garlic, chili flakes, and shards of ginger for a quick and easy meal. Then, cook the prawns for three to four minutes.

Prawns grilled

Keep the shells on when you grill more giant prawns like a tiger and king prawns so that you don't lose any of the succulent flesh within. The shells provide a great deal of flavor when they are grilled, and when they are served whole, they look lovely and wonderful. Butterflying them, which entails slicing them lengthwise from the head to the tail and opening them up like books, enables them to cook more quickly and sears the meat, which adds more flavor to the dish.

Curried prawns

To prevent the curry from becoming rubbery and losing its succulence, add the prawns at the very end of cooking aromatic Thai and Asian curries. After you have completed the preparation of your curry base and it has reached the desired color and consistency, add your prawns and continue to cook them until they have changed color and are opaque all the way through. Prepare the dish by garnishing it with fresh green herbs.

Prawn rice dishes

When making paella, congee, jambalaya, or risotto, prepare the rice as you usually would and add the prawns during the last three to four minutes of cooking. The cooking time should be increased if you use substantial king prawns.

Minced mini-prawns

Little prawns make burgers, patties, and the fillings for Chinese dumplings and bao buns are particularly well-suited for preparation. Before shaping and frying them, you may process them with fragrant ingredients like onions, garlic, and herbs, or you can use them as a delicious filling for pan-fried and steamed potstickers. To make even better prawn toasts at home, spread minced prawns onto triangles of bread, top with sesame seeds, and then cook in oil at a high temperature.

Prawns deep-fried

Coat your prawns in a tempura batter prepared with plain flour and carbonated water, and then deep-fried them for around two to three minutes. This will ensure the coating becomes nice and crispy, but the inside remains succulent and tender. You can eat them with a dipping sauce or give them a quick flash fried in a wok with onions, garlic, chili, and black pepper to create your version of Chinese takeout.

Because prawns tend to overcook very quickly, you must carefully watch them while they are cooking. They may be dropped into the pan at the last second, but you should hold off until the last minute since they will be cooked in only two minutes. If you stir-fry them, it will only take sixty seconds for them to be done; the process is that quick! If the tails of your prawns curl up into the shape of the letter O, they are probably already overdone. The form that most closely resembles the letter C is the most desirable one.

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