05 Aug 2007, ST
SO MANY readers write in every month with the same questions about prawns that I thought I'd better address the topics again.
Regular followers of this column will know that I've already covered prawn texture. The weblink to that instalment is www.stomp.com.sg/stfoodiesclub/askthefoodie/35/index.html
Here's the bottom line. Absolutely fresh, recently alive prawns have a uniquely delicate, naturally springy texture and sea-sweet flavour if cooked to perfection.
In contrast, the succulent, almost crunchy texture of prawns we encounter in some Chinese dim sum and banquet dishes is not a product of nature, but the result of soaking prawns in running water or marinating them with an alkaline ingredient such as alkaline water.
Those of you who wish to make crunchy prawn fritters in batter know and remember that batter formula is less important than serving promptness.
Fried foods are meant to be cooked and eaten immediately - they always taste good in restaurants because they are fried to order.
Because of our humid climate, it is impossible to make fritters that remain crunchy if left to stand around for hours before serving.
There are doubtless artificial additives out there that will prolong crispness, but why add chemicals to your food if you don't have to?
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Here then are some tips for crustacean-lovers:
The only prawn worth eating is a fresh one - in other words, live or recently alive.
Choose prawns that are firm, shiny and smell only of seawater. If a prawn is seeping or sitting in murky juices, has dull eyes and shell, or a floppy head, shun it.
Pack prawns on ice to bring them home - supermarkets will give you bags of ice if you ask - and unpack and cook them as soon as possible afterwards.
Prawn heads contain enzymes that start breaking down the body's flesh as soon the prawn dies, so if you don't need the prawn heads, remove them as soon as you get home. Rinse the bodies in salted water, pat dry, place them in a bag, and keep the bag on ice until needed. You can use the prawn heads to make stock right away, or freeze them to use within a month.
As for making firm and succulent prawns, there are different schools of thought.
Chinese chefs rinse them in generously salted water, then sit them under gently running cold tap water for 10 to 15 minutes. Western chefs soak large prawns in icy-cold salted (and sometimes also sugared) water for the same amount of time. After either treatment, rinse and thoroughly dry the prawns before proceeding to marinate or cook them.
Chinese chefs also often par-cook shelled prawns in simmering water or oil, draining them before adding them to a stir-fry to briefly finish cooking. This technique helps to keep them succulent. If you like fried prawns but not flabby excesses of batter, try coating the prawns lightly in beaten egg and then in potato starch, which fries up to form a pale, crisp coating.
Steamed whole prawns in the shell should be cooked and served pronto, with diners waiting at the table. Before cooking, marinate them briefly in just a little sugar or Japanese mirin (sweetened rice wine) to give their shells a beautiful shine.
SO MANY readers write in every month with the same questions about prawns that I thought I'd better address the topics again.
Regular followers of this column will know that I've already covered prawn texture. The weblink to that instalment is www.stomp.com.sg/stfoodiesclub/askthefoodie/35/index.html
Here's the bottom line. Absolutely fresh, recently alive prawns have a uniquely delicate, naturally springy texture and sea-sweet flavour if cooked to perfection.
In contrast, the succulent, almost crunchy texture of prawns we encounter in some Chinese dim sum and banquet dishes is not a product of nature, but the result of soaking prawns in running water or marinating them with an alkaline ingredient such as alkaline water.
Those of you who wish to make crunchy prawn fritters in batter know and remember that batter formula is less important than serving promptness.
Fried foods are meant to be cooked and eaten immediately - they always taste good in restaurants because they are fried to order.
Because of our humid climate, it is impossible to make fritters that remain crunchy if left to stand around for hours before serving.
There are doubtless artificial additives out there that will prolong crispness, but why add chemicals to your food if you don't have to?
-----------------------------------
Here then are some tips for crustacean-lovers:
The only prawn worth eating is a fresh one - in other words, live or recently alive.
Choose prawns that are firm, shiny and smell only of seawater. If a prawn is seeping or sitting in murky juices, has dull eyes and shell, or a floppy head, shun it.
Pack prawns on ice to bring them home - supermarkets will give you bags of ice if you ask - and unpack and cook them as soon as possible afterwards.
Prawn heads contain enzymes that start breaking down the body's flesh as soon the prawn dies, so if you don't need the prawn heads, remove them as soon as you get home. Rinse the bodies in salted water, pat dry, place them in a bag, and keep the bag on ice until needed. You can use the prawn heads to make stock right away, or freeze them to use within a month.
As for making firm and succulent prawns, there are different schools of thought.
Chinese chefs rinse them in generously salted water, then sit them under gently running cold tap water for 10 to 15 minutes. Western chefs soak large prawns in icy-cold salted (and sometimes also sugared) water for the same amount of time. After either treatment, rinse and thoroughly dry the prawns before proceeding to marinate or cook them.
Chinese chefs also often par-cook shelled prawns in simmering water or oil, draining them before adding them to a stir-fry to briefly finish cooking. This technique helps to keep them succulent. If you like fried prawns but not flabby excesses of batter, try coating the prawns lightly in beaten egg and then in potato starch, which fries up to form a pale, crisp coating.
Steamed whole prawns in the shell should be cooked and served pronto, with diners waiting at the table. Before cooking, marinate them briefly in just a little sugar or Japanese mirin (sweetened rice wine) to give their shells a beautiful shine.
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