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Here's the stuff that we know about Prawn... |
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 There are thousands of different species of prawn, but tiger, king and North Atlantic are the most commonly sold in the UK. They are fished in both the ocean and fresh water, and are farmed as well as wild.
Most of them have a narrow, tapering body, under which the tail is curled, and long, whiskery antennae. The body is encased in a brittle shell, and all types have ten legs. When raw, they are bluey-grey or, in the case of the smaller varieties, almost translucent.
When cooked, the shells turn pink and the sweet, meaty flesh turns white tinged with pink; brief cooking is essential, otherwise the flesh will become tough. As with other types of crustacea, prawns fished in cold waters tend to be more flavourful than those from warm waters. Although anatomically incorrect, the part of the prawn eaten, the meaty body, is referred to as the tail. The very small shellfish referred to as shrimps are prawns, too - the term shrimp just indicates their diminuitive size.  |
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How do I get Prawn ready to use? |
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If the prawns are shell-on, you'll need to peel them. This can be done before or after cooking, but peeling them after cooking makes for a juicier, more flavourful prawn.
Grip the body of the prawn in one hand and twist the head off with the other (this can be used to make stock). Turn the prawn over and pull the shell open along the length of the belly, working from the head end downwards, prising it open so that you can pull the prawn free (you can leave the very end of the shell on or off, depending on what you prefer).
Once the shell is off, check to see if there is a black line running down the back of the prawn. This is the intestinal tract - if it's black, it's full. It's not harmful to eat, but the prawn looks better without it, and it can be a bit gritty. Removing it is called 'deveining'. Using a small, sharp knife, make a shallow cut along the length of the black line, then lift it out using the tip of the knife.
To butterfly a prawn, peel and devein as above, leaving the tail on. Then make a |
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What about keeping Prawn? |
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Like all shellfish, prawns go off quickly, so keep in the fridge wrapped in their original packaging or in a sealed container. Eat within 24 hours of purchase. |
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How do I cook Prawn? |
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Stir fry (2-6 minutes, according to size). Grill or barbecue (3-4 minutes each side). Poach (3-10 minutes, according to size). |
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What happens if I don't have Prawn? |
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We can't think of any good alternative for Prawn. |
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