Seafood
Prawn
Also called shrimp
Marine crustaceans sold as prawns in Australia and Britain and as shrimp in much of the US. Shell-on heads carry flavour; peeled tails cook drier.
Origin
Wild prawns come from warm seas; most supermarket prawns now come from Asian and Latin American farms.
Flavour
Sweet and briny with a snap when just cooked. Head fat is the best part of a tom yum or a Spanish rice.
How to use it
Pat them dry or they steam. High heat, short time: a wok, a screaming pan, or the last minutes of paella so they pink through without curling into corkscrews. Salt just before they hit the fat; a long salt sit draws moisture. For tempura, ice-cold batter and oil hot enough that the coating sets at once. In stews and jjamppong, add them at the end. Do not boil them in a huge pot unless you want stock — the sweetness leaves the meat.
Storage
Frozen is the honest everyday form. Reheating cooked leftovers turns them to leather.
Recipes using it
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