Dry fried prawns in the shell

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Stephen Ceideburg
1 pounds Large prawns in the shell
2 tablespoons Oil
½ teaspoon Salt
3 Quarter-sized slices fresh ginger, bruised
3 Garlic cloves, bruised
4 Green onions with tops, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 pinch White pepper
1 pinch Sugar
2 tablespoons Dry sherry or rice wine
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
1 bunch Fresh watercress

Directions

The trick to eating these is to pop them into your mouth and then separate the shells from the meat with your teeth and tongue. If the shells are crispy enough, eat 'em shells and all. The sauce cooks into the shells making them very flavorful.

Leave shells and legs on the prawns. Rinse in cold water. Pat completely dry with paper toweling.

To devein prawns, cut a ¼-inch deep by ½-inch long incision down the outside curve of each shell. (Pointed kitchen shears are useful for this job.) Grasp the black vein and gently pull out and discard.

Preheat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil, salt, ginger and garlic.

Crush the ginger and garlic against the side of the pan with the back of the spatula to squeeze out their juices (about 30 seconds); remove ginger and garlic and discard.

When the oil is hot but not smoking, place a single layer of prawns flat in the pan. Fry without stirring until browned and crusty, about 1 minute. Turn the prawns and fry without stirring until browned on the second side, about 1 minute. Remove and keep warm while frying remaining prawns.

When the last batch is done, increase heat to high. Return all the prawns to the pan, along with the green onions, pepper, sugar, wine and soy sauce. Quickly toss over high heat until liquid is reduced and a glaze coats the shrimp, about 30 seconds. Serve on a bed of watercress.

PER SERVING: 115 calories, 13 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 93 mg cholesterol, 332 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

Joyce Jue writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 10/25/93.

Posted by Stephen Ceideburg

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