Tiger prawns are pale brown to bluey green with distinctive grey, blue or black stripes, for which they’re named. Black tiger prawns are the most common aquaculture prawn in Australia and are available year round. Scarlet prawns, a by-catch of deep-sea fishing occasionally seen in fishmongers, have very firm flesh that is also excellent prepared this way. They are named for their shell, which is bright red even before they’re cooked.
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INGREDIENTS:
12 x 60g green Tiger Prawns
150ml Shaoxing (see notes)
50ml yellow bean sauce
100g young ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
75ml peanut oil
40ml sesame oil
½ bunch green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
Freshly ground white peppercorns, to taste
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
METHOD:
Leaving the shell and heads on, cut the prawns down the back and remove the dark vein, leaving any orange roe inside the prawns.
Half fill a wok or large saucepan with water and bring to the boil.
Place prawns in a dish with Shaoxing, yellow bean sauce and half the ginger. Place in a steamer basket. Place steamer over wok or saucepan, cover and steam for a few minutes, until prawn shells turn orange; the prawn flesh should still be slightly glassy.
Place prawns on a heat-proof serving platter with a little of the steaming liquid. Top with green onion and remaining ginger and sprinkle with pepper.
Combine peanut oil and sesame oil in a small saucepan and heat until smoking. Immediately (and carefully) pour it over the prawns, which will sizzle.
Serve with rice.
NOTES:
Shaoxing is Chinese rice wine, available from Asian grocery stores.
ALTERNATIVE SPECIES:
Other Prawns, Marron, Redclaw, Yabby.