China · Shandong
Braised Prawns in Scallion Oil
A Shandong classic in which whole prawns simmer in a savoury-sweet sauce and come away glossy, the meat firm and springy.
The dish belongs to the Shandong tradition of braising seafood in a reduced sauce, and its subtlety comes from scallion oil fried separately and added at the end. The prawns are cooked whole in their shells, which keeps the meat from drying out and lets the sauce cling. The tail, head and legs must be trimmed properly before they go in, or the finished dish turns messy.
Ingredients
- prawns10 pieces
- Sichuan peppercorn5 g
- scallion50 g
- ginger20 g
- Shaoxing wine30 g
- salt3 g
- rock sugar10 g
Directions
- 1
Cut the rostrum back to the head, trim off the whiskers and legs, pull out the sand sac and draw the vein out through the back, then wash and set aside.
- 3
Add the oil to the pan, lay the prawns out neatly and once both sides have changed colour press the heads down very gently.
- 4
Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low, cover and braise. Do not add any more liquid and do not lift the lid while it cooks.
- 5
Once the shells look glossy and the prawns have curled, they are done; turn them out onto a plate.
- 6
Reduce the sauce: strain it, return it to the pan to thicken, add the scallion oil, and cook until roughly a quarter of the liquid is left.
- 9
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.