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What to do with spot prawns


KennethT

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I've seen lots of posts where some fortunate people with regular access to spot prawns use them in lots of different dishes, but I couldn't find a post dedicated to them.  I've got a pound of spot prawns arriving today from Wild Alaskan Seafood - flash frozen on the boat, then shipped with dry ice.  I've made lots of shrimp dishes over the years, but I don't think I've ever had spot prawns - and since my access to them is quite limited, I want to make the most out of them.

 

So one question is - has anyone eaten them raw?  One thing I was considering was a Thai preparation which is raw prawn briefly marinated in lime, garlic, fish sauce and a little bit of chilli.  I normally wouldn't make a raw shrimp dish from grocery store shrimp since I don't know how fresh they are, but since these are frozen on the boat directly after being caught, I think it would be safe.  But since I don't know how delicate of a flavor the spot prawns have, I don't know whether this prep would be too overpowering.

 

The Wild Alaskan co sent a recipe with the email - they simply saute the prawns in olive oil (in their shell) and serve with a pasta with olive oil and lemon.

 

Ideas?

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4 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I've seen lots of posts where some fortunate people with regular access to spot prawns use them in lots of different dishes, but I couldn't find a post dedicated to them.  I've got a pound of spot prawns arriving today from Wild Alaskan Seafood - flash frozen on the boat, then shipped with dry ice.  I've made lots of shrimp dishes over the years, but I don't think I've ever had spot prawns - and since my access to them is quite limited, I want to make the most out of them.

 

So one question is - has anyone eaten them raw?  One thing I was considering was a Thai preparation which is raw prawn briefly marinated in lime, garlic, fish sauce and a little bit of chilli.  I normally wouldn't make a raw shrimp dish from grocery store shrimp since I don't know how fresh they are, but since these are frozen on the boat directly after being caught, I think it would be safe.  But since I don't know how delicate of a flavor the spot prawns have, I don't know whether this prep would be too overpowering.

 

The Wild Alaskan co sent a recipe with the email - they simply saute the prawns in olive oil (in their shell) and serve with a pasta with olive oil and lemon.

 

Ideas?

Hello.  I've had a similar preparation of spot prawns just like you describe.  I like the Wild Alaskan recipe, but I've again had them like you describe.  For me the texture of the spot prawn is firm and I really notice how sweet they are in a ceviche style like you mention with lime, garlic, fish sauce and chili, (and just a dash of lite soy sauce).  The first time I had them was years ago when there was a restaurant named Sensi in Bellagio.  They were live in tanks and they simply prepared them sauteed them with a little olive oil, then salt and pepper.  I don't remember the garnish or anything on the plate other than those delicious spot prawns. They are really a delicacy up here in the Pacific NW.

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4 minutes ago, Paul Bacino said:

I'd add fresh garden garlic...to your cook!!

 

I marinade mine in garlic and evoo..some lemon zest

 

Sorry - I don't understand the first line "to your cook!!".  Does this mean that you would definitely cook them (as opposed to having them raw) or something else?

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1 hour ago, KennethT said:

I've seen lots of posts where some fortunate people with regular access to spot prawns use them in lots of different dishes, but I couldn't find a post dedicated to them.  I've got a pound of spot prawns arriving today from Wild Alaskan Seafood - flash frozen on the boat, then shipped with dry ice.  I've made lots of shrimp dishes over the years, but I don't think I've ever had spot prawns - and since my access to them is quite limited, I want to make the most out of them.

 

So one question is - has anyone eaten them raw?  One thing I was considering was a Thai preparation which is raw prawn briefly marinated in lime, garlic, fish sauce and a little bit of chilli.  I normally wouldn't make a raw shrimp dish from grocery store shrimp since I don't know how fresh they are, but since these are frozen on the boat directly after being caught, I think it would be safe.  But since I don't know how delicate of a flavor the spot prawns have, I don't know whether this prep would be too overpowering.

 

The Wild Alaskan co sent a recipe with the email - they simply saute the prawns in olive oil (in their shell) and serve with a pasta with olive oil and lemon.

 

Ideas?

We had live fresh spot prawns a few years ago. They were so beautiful I just wanted to taste them without too many other flavours interfering.  I poached them in salted water with a squeeze of lemon.  That would be my recommendation.

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As much as I love garlic and fish sauce, I'd personally back off on those as too overwhelming. The cucumber plays off the crunch/crisp of the spots. Some of the Nayarit style seafood places here add some cubed avocado for textural contrast and it also likes the lime.

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To me rock shrimp are more chewy lobster like and spots sweet shrimp essence. That said I've only had processed frozen rock shrimp versus spots from the tank at ocean adjacent fish market.

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I have had them raw both after purchased live and prepared at home and at a local sushi place.  Like most shrimp they are fairly mild in flavor and if fresh are best enjoyed with basic accompaniments.

 

My preference is to grill them at a really high heat, preferably on charcoal and finish with salt and some good olive oil, perhaps lemon.

 

Deep fry the heads and eat the whole thing.

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I know that @Ann_Thas quite a bit of experience cooking with spot prawns and probably has some good suggestions.

 

Despite living near the docks and able to purchase spot prawns fresh most years, I rarely do. My husband really doesn't like them that much and so we only have them occasionally. When we get them fresh, we cook them right away - just steamed/poached/boiled, heads and all, maybe with some lemon zest, garlic, bay leaf. I know if we want to keep them, we need to remove the heads because of the enzymes. 

https://skipperotto.com/live-spot-prawn/

 

Since yours are frozen @KennethT, I'm guessing the heads have already been removed? 

 

We can get them in local stores, head removed, fresh or cooked but they tend to be pretty pricey. 

 

I know that @Ann_T has purchased from Walcan and I see they have a short video on cooking them, but these are fresh and with heads:

https://shop.walcan.com/pages/recipes

 

More good info from Walcan:

https://shop.walcan.com/pages/bc-spot-prawns

 

Edited by FauxPas (log)
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10 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

I know that @Ann_Thas quite a bit of experience cooking with spot prawns and probably has some good suggestions.

 

Despite living near the docks and able to purchase spot prawns fresh most years, I rarely do. My husband really doesn't like them that much and so we only have them occasionally. When we get them fresh, we cook them right away - just steamed/poached/boiled, heads and all, maybe with some lemon zest, garlic, bay leaf. I know if we want to keep them, we need to remove the heads because of the enzymes. 

https://skipperotto.com/live-spot-prawn/

 

Since yours are frozen @KennethT, I'm guessing the heads have already been removed? 

 

We can get them in local stores, head removed, fresh or cooked but they tend to be pretty pricey. 

 

I know that @Ann_T has purchased from Walcan and I see they have a short video on cooking them, but these are fresh and with heads:

https://shop.walcan.com/pages/recipes

 

 

Yes, the heads were removed and unfortunately not included - I would have loved to have had the heads deep fried just with some salt. But thanks for the links - they're helpful.

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@KennethT

are your spot prawns frozen with the heads on?  If so you need to remove the heads before the prawns thaw.  According to Walcan Seafoods there is an Enzyme that is released from the heads that turns the meat mushy. They suggest just running the heads under water just to slightly thaw and twisting them off.  I do that and then let the tails thaw the rest of the way in the fridge.

Since I'm not a fan of the heads anyway, I always remove them from both live and frozen.

 

I don't like shrimp but I love Spot Prawns.  Flavour and texture is totally different.  Spot Prawns are sweeter and the texture is more similar lobster or Dungeness crab.

 

I like them a number of ways including grilled and served with pasta, Garlic Shrimp (Spanish Tapa), stuffed with Dungeness crab, Firecracker Prawns and tonight I plan to make

a Prawn Cocktail with grill prawns and Gazpacho .

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2021/06/24/gazpacho-prawn-cocktail/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2012/05/27/prawn-etouffee/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2019/11/04/firecracker-prawns/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2021/02/28/spot-prawns-in-sweet-chili-sauce/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2020/07/25/spanish-tapa-garlic-prawns/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2011/05/07/baked-stuffed-prawns/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2009/05/19/shrimps-prawns-skewered-shrimp-with-lemon-pesto/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2021/03/08/more-of-our-tide-to-table-seafood/

Edited by Ann_T (log)
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36 minutes ago, Ann_T said:

@KennethT

are your spot prawns frozen with the heads on?  If so you need to remove the heads before the prawns thaw.  According to Walcan Seafoods there is an Enzyme that is released from the heads that turns the meat mushy. They suggest just running the heads under water just to slightly thaw and twisting them off.  I do that and then let the tails thaw the rest of the way in the fridge.

Since I'm not a fan of the heads anyway, I always remove them from both live and frozen.

 

I don't like shrimp but I love Spot Prawns.  Flavour and texture is totally different.  Spot Prawns are sweeter and the texture is more similar lobster or Dungeness crab.

 

I like them a number of ways including grilled and served with pasta, Garlic Shrimp (Spanish Tapa), stuffed with Dungeness crab, Firecracker Prawns and tonight I plan to make

a Prawn Cocktail with grill prawns and Gazpacho .

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2021/06/24/gazpacho-prawn-cocktail/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2012/05/27/prawn-etouffee/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2019/11/04/firecracker-prawns/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2021/02/28/spot-prawns-in-sweet-chili-sauce/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2020/07/25/spanish-tapa-garlic-prawns/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2011/05/07/baked-stuffed-prawns/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2009/05/19/shrimps-prawns-skewered-shrimp-with-lemon-pesto/

 

https://thibeaultstable.com/2021/03/08/more-of-our-tide-to-table-seafood/

Wow - that's quite a list... thanks!  Yes, they were frozen heads off, so no worries there. I haven't gone through the list yet, but would you recommend any raw preparations or do you prefer them cooked?

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7 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Wow - that's quite a list... thanks!  Yes, they were frozen heads off, so no worries there. I haven't gone through the list yet, but would you recommend any raw preparations or do you prefer them cooked?

I'm not a fan of raw prawns.   Been tempted though to make this Ceviche recipe for Moe with fresh prawns rather than frozen.

 

https://www.food.com/recipe/bc-spot-prawn-ceviche-532716

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One last question - the prawns were individually frozen, glazed with sea water (which is supposed to be best for not altering them once defrosted).  Typically, I but 2# bags of IQF shrimp, and I defrost whatever I'm about to use in a bowl with cool water, changing the water once it gets freezing cold.  They defrost that way in about 15 minutes, if that.  The company recommends defrosting them for like 10 hours in the refrigerator.  Does it make a difference?

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Defrosting in the fridge is the most gentle way of doing it but I think most people do the quick defrost method like you with  perfectly acceptable results 

Edited by AAQuesada
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1 hour ago, weinoo said:

And I think it can't hurt to brine them for 15-30 minutes or so.  Sometimes, I'll even defrost in the bowl of cold, salted water in the fridge.

Evidently they've been glazed with seawater prior to freezing...  but yes, I usually salt for 10-15 minutes before cooking...

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all this talk about Head!!

 

I roasted mine with celery carrot onion , tomatoe/ lemon /fennel--tried a cioppino stock ish   blended and strained..  cant remember other seasoning but I ended up with this

 

1568033006_Spot1.thumb.jpg.b78ceee9bc39d9502b08d9bf68716591.jpg

 

 

587652433_spot2.thumb.jpg.ef80783fbfc11d3b442cf46833a102f4.jpg

 

146556643_spot3.thumb.jpg.66f6e7f0efe5d36a3d90c7d369ee4402.jpg

 

1750975225_spot4.thumb.jpg.8687741ca18ba0fb7e88b17acd466346.jpg

Edited by Paul Bacino (log)
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Its good to have Morels

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On 6/24/2021 at 1:48 PM, Paul Bacino said:

all this talk about Head!!

 

I roasted mine with celery carrot onion , tomatoe/ lemon /fennel--tried a cioppino stock ish   blended and strained..  cant remember other seasoning but I ended up with this

 

1568033006_Spot1.thumb.jpg.b78ceee9bc39d9502b08d9bf68716591.jpg

 

 

587652433_spot2.thumb.jpg.ef80783fbfc11d3b442cf46833a102f4.jpg

 

146556643_spot3.thumb.jpg.66f6e7f0efe5d36a3d90c7d369ee4402.jpg

 

1750975225_spot4.thumb.jpg.8687741ca18ba0fb7e88b17acd466346.jpg

That is a delicious stock.  

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I used my first package of spot prawns yesterday.  After all the hemming and hawing, I decided to do something with them that I've done with my normal shrimp supply, so better compare them. Singapore style bak kut teh - the healthy version (no pork ribs).  I make my broth with a lot of pork bones, and then completely defat it.  The stock is then infused with a lot of garlic and a special black peppercorn from Sarawak (Malaysia) which is not as strong as most other peppercorns and maybe has a fruitiness to it?  Anyway, the spot prawns were fantastic - sweet, wonderful texture.

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On 6/24/2021 at 8:33 AM, KennethT said:

One last question - the prawns were individually frozen, glazed with sea water (which is supposed to be best for not altering them once defrosted).  Typically, I but 2# bags of IQF shrimp, and I defrost whatever I'm about to use in a bowl with cool water, changing the water once it gets freezing cold.  They defrost that way in about 15 minutes, if that.  The company recommends defrosting them for like 10 hours in the refrigerator.  Does it make a difference?

@KennethT, I've also bought just the tails individually glazed with sea water.  I just put them in the fridge before leaving for work and by the time I get home they are thawed enough split and remove the shells.   I've also just ran them under

water, right out of the freezer and they thaw quickly.  

406446750_SpotPrawnsJune25th20211.thumb.jpg.b0ae3d5837326b19b6ac15af75567fd5.jpg

These tails were the ones I froze in salt water.  

1370847863_SpanishTapaGarlicPrawnsJune25th2021.thumb.jpg.9c713031fa14ad13e350248d007bc999.jpg

Moe and I shared a platter of Spanish Garlic Prawns with homemade baguette for sopping up the sauce. 

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