If eating unpeeled prawns or shrimp freaks you out, I understand. They look gnarly and weird but BELIEVE ME, you have never tasted anything so delicious. Even more so when the prawns have been grilled before being coated in a garlicky, lemony butter sauce. It’s a very similar experience to eating crawfish (in the USA). They also stay super juicy because the shell acts as a barrier against the fierce heat from the grill. Can you make this in a pan on the stove? 100% But the charred bits and smoky flavor the prawns add to the sauce is so incredibly delicious, I beg of you to at least try this once on the grill.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Prawns/Shrimp. Try to get big/jumbo shrimp or prawns. Ask your fishmonger/seafood counter at your grocery store to devein the prawns for you. Aromatics: Fresh garlic cloves, Cajun spice, lemon pepper, chilli flakes/red pepper flakes and lemon juice. You could add onions/shallots or bell peppers too but I don’t think it’s necessary. Fat: Both butter and Olive oil are used for the most flavor. Cream. Adding a splash of heavy cream to the sauce creates a silky finish that coats the shrimp perfectly. Salt and black pepper.
Are shrimp and prawns the same?
Prawns are small crustaceans found in both salt and fresh water. They are a different species to shrimp but the two are virtually interchangeable when it comes to cooking. Shrimp is most often use in North American countries while prawns are used in the UK, Australia, South Africa, etc.
How to grill shrimp
If your prawns haven’t been deveined, use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors and make a long incision down the length of the back then remove the vein. Place in a large bowl then add oil and all the seasonings. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a large pot or deep saucepan, the pot needs to be big enough to toss all the prawns in once they are cooked. Cook for a minute or two until fragrant then pour in the cream. Bring to a simmer then remove from the heat. You want the sauce to be a little too lemony and very well seasoned. Once the prawns are added, the sauce will mellow a lot in flavor. Cook on a very hot grill or grill pan. I prefer doing this on outdoor grill as the smoke adds so much flavor to the shrimp once cooked. Flip once They cook very quickly and should only need 5-6 minutes on the grill in total. They are cooked when the flesh is firm and opaque. When they are cooked, remove them from the grill and place in the pot with the sauce. Toss to coat in the sauce. Serve with side dishes of your choice with extra lemon for squeezing.
How to eat shrimp
This is a very hands-on experience but believe me, you won’t regret it. Remove the head and if you’re brave enough, suck out all the juice. I know this sounds bizarre but trust me here. Peel the shrimp and suck the sauce off of the shells. Dip the prawn/shrimp into any sauce pooling on your plate and eat. Sigh with pure pleasure.
Shrimp/prawn recipes
