How to Cook Frozen King Prawns in the Shell
A great appetizer and a useful ingredient for all sorts of dishes. You'd think cooking prawns is very simple. True, but you do need to keep a few cooking details in mind to bring out the most of their flavor. Then the prawns — and the dishes you make with them — will turn out truly delicious.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
To cook frozen king prawns in the shell, you'll need: king prawns, water, salt, bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley, and lemon.
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Step 2:
The prawns don't need to be thawed beforehand (!). Put them in a colander or sieve and rinse them well under a stream of warm water to wash off any icy glaze, broken bits, and debris from the prawns. Let the water drain.
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Step 3:
Squeeze the juice from the lemon.
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Step 4:
Bring water to a boil in a pot. The ratio of water to prawns should be at least 2:1. Add the lemon juice, peppercorns, bay leaf, and parsley to the boiling water. The seasonings give the prawns a pleasant, fragrant flavor. Pour the salt into the water and stir. Let it boil for 2 minutes. The amount of salt may seem like a lot, but don't worry — the prawns won't be over-salted, since they're cooked in the shell.
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Step 5:
Add the king prawns to the seasoned water.
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Step 6:
Wait for it to come to a boil. Cook the prawns at a moderate boil for no more than 5 minutes. My prawns are pre-cooked and frozen, meaning they were already boiled before freezing. If you're using raw, freshly frozen prawns, the cooking time goes up to 7 minutes. Fresh prawns like these have a grayish-green color. It's important not to overcook the prawns so they stay tender — but you mustn't undercook them either.
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Step 7:
When done, the prawns' shells turn slightly translucent and the color becomes brighter. Lift the cooked prawns out onto a plate with a slotted spoon and let them cool. Serve them as an appetizer, drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil or with any sauce that suits prawns. Peeled prawns go well with pasta or rice, and you can also use them in salads. Enjoy your meal!
- Prawns are a source of complete, easily digestible protein and a range of macro- and microelements. To end up with a healthy, delicious product, you need to choose good-quality prawns when buying. Pay attention to how the seafood looks. The prawns should have a uniform color and a tail curled into a hook. There should be a thin layer of ice on the shell. If a prawn's body isn't curled, it sat around for a long time before freezing. It's best to use unpeeled prawns for cooking — boiled in the shell, they come out juicier and more tender than those cooked without it. A soy-honey or cream sauce works well for serving prawns. Prawns pair perfectly with fresh vegetables, lending salads a touch of elegance and boosting their nutrition. Such salads are nicely rounded out with a dressing of lemon juice and olive oil. In our house, prawns with pasta in a creamy cheese sauce are an especial favorite — we love this dish for its delicate, creamy flavor. For a get-together with the guys, you can serve prawns with beer, preferably a light one. This appetizer also looks great on a holiday table.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Lemon - 16 kcal/100g
- Lemon zest - 47 kcal/100g
- Bay leaf - 313 kcal/100g
- Parsley - 45 kcal/100g
- Black peppercorns - 255 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Water - 0 kcal/100g
- King prawns - 87 kcal/100g
