TRICK OF THE TRADE
Steamed Garlic Butter Prawns is so easy to prepare and tastes great! In my earlier attempts to make this dish, I couldn’t figure out why after steaming the prawns, I ended up with a lot of water in the plate, leaving the prawns limp and not as flavourful.
But I’ve finally found the answer! It all lies in using a sheet of baking paper to cover the prawns while steaming. Doing that made such a big difference in the taste and texture of the steamed prawns! Try it and let me know how it goes! Hope you enjoy the natural sweetness of this Steamed Garlic Better Prawn dish!
GRAB OUR HERITAGE HAWKER DELIGHTS COOKBOOK + EBOOK BUNDLED DEAL FOR JUST $44.85 (U.P. $54.80)
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DISH
- It is quick to make! It only takes 30 mins to prepare and cook this dish, making it a great time saver if you need to cook.
- The natural sweet taste of the prawns pairs extremely well with the savoury taste of the garlic and butter, making the overall taste of the dish fresh and addictive.
HOW TO MAKE STEAMED GARLIC BUTTER PRAWNS
- Wash, clean and prepare the prawns. See below for my Video Tutorial on How to Clean and Prepare Prawns.
- Pat the prawns dry and add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of sugar to it. Mix gently without breaking the heads of the prawns until the salt and sugar are evenly distributed.
- Wash the spring onion and cut into small pieces.
- Melt the butter in the microwave for 20 secs. Add 2 TBsp chopped garlic to it and set aside.
- Line a stainless plate with the baking sheet, making sure the sheet is long enough to line the dish, as well as to wrap over the prawns.
- Arrange the prawns on the stainless steel plate lined with baking sheet. Avoid stacking the prawns on top of each other as they won’t cook evenly.
- Spread the garlic mixture over the prawns and cover it with the baking sheet.
- In a wok, add sufficient water for steaming and bring to a boil over high heat.
- When the water is boiling, place the plate of prawns on the rack and steam for 2 1/2 mins.
- Turn off the heat. Unwrap the baking sheet, and add the chopped spring onions on top of the prawns.
- In a small pan, heat up 2 TBsp of oil over high heat. Add 4 TBsp of chopped garlic to the pan and fry till golden brown. Remove the crispy garlic and set aside
- Reheat the oil, quickly pour the hot oil over the spring onions.
- Add 1 TBsp of Hua Tiao Chiew and 1 tsp of sesame oil to the prawn.
- Place the crispy garlic on top of the prawns and serve hot.
MARKETING TIPS
- Use ‘Ang Kar Hae’ (Red Legged Prawn) for this recipe. If you can’t get hold of that, you can also use Big Tiger Prawn as a substitute.
COOKING TIPS
- Do not oversteam the prawns or they will be hard and dry. For bigger prawns, you will need to steam it for an extra minute or so.
- Use baking paper to wrap the prawns when steaming. The prawns will not lose much water when they is wrapped up with baking sheet, thus retaining their natural sweetness and maintaining their crunchiness.
- Be careful not to be scorched by the steam inside when uncovering the baking sheet..
- Pour hot oil over the spring onions to release a wonderful fragrance from the spring onions – this step is essential!
- For steaming, the water should reach the same level as the top of the steaming rack.
KITCHEN HACK VIDEOS
How to devein, clean and prep prawns
How to pack and freeze prawns quickly
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS
- Egg-Free: No modifications needed.
- Fish-Free: No modifications required.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten free Hua Tiao Chiew or skip it.
- Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Glass Noodles (Tang Hoon) with Dried Cuttlefish Recipe
Teochew Steamed Chinese Pomfret (Dao Chior) Recipe
Old Cucumber Soup (老黄瓜汤) Recipe
TRIED THIS RECIPE?
Please rate our recipe or leave us a comment! You can even upload a snap of your creation!
Don’t forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel for more yummy videos! Do also join us at TBK Home Cooks Facebook Group where you can post photos of your food, ask questions, share recipes and clean cooking tips from others in the group!
Steamed Garlic Butter Prawns Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 pieces Large Prawns Red Legged Prawn / 红脚虾 / Ang Kar Hay
- 6 tbsp Chopped Garlic
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Chinese Wine (Hua Tiao Chiew / Shaoxing Wine) Also known as Shao Xing Wine 绍兴酒
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 2 sprigs Spring Onion
- 2 tbsp Oil
Instructions
PREPARATION METHOD
- Wash, clean and prepare the prawns. See below for my Video Tutorial on How to Clean and Prepare Prawns.
- Pat the prawns dry and add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of sugar to it. Mix gently without breaking the heads of the prawns until the salt and sugar are evenly distributed.
- Wash the spring onion and cut into small pieces.
- Melt the butter in the microwave for 20 secs. Add 2 TBsp chopped garlic to it and set aside.
- Line a stainless plate with the baking sheet, making sure the sheet is long enough to line the dish, as well as to wrap over the prawns.
- Arrange the prawns on the stainless steel plate lined with baking sheet. Avoid stacking the prawns on top of each other as they won't cook evenly.
- Spread the garlic mixture over the prawns and cover it with the baking sheet.
COOKING METHOD
- In a wok, add sufficient water for steaming and bring to a boil over high heat.
- When the water is boiling, place the plate of prawns on the rack and steam for 2 1/2 mins.
- Turn off the heat. Unwrap the baking sheet, and add the chopped spring onions on top of the prawns.
- In a small pan, heat up 2 TBsp of oil over high heat. Add 4 TBsp of chopped garlic to the pan and fry till golden brown. Remove the crispy garlic and set aside.
- Reheat the oil, quickly pour the hot oil over the spring onions.
- Add 1 TBsp of Hua Tiao Chiew and 1 tsp of sesame oil to the prawn.
- Place the crispy garlic on top of the prawns and serve hot.
Notes
MARKETING TIPS
- Use 'Ang Kar Hae' (Red Legged Prawn) for this recipe. If you can't get hold of that, you can also use Big Tiger Prawn as a substitute.
COOKING TIPS
- Do not oversteam the prawns or they will be hard and dry. For bigger prawns, you will need to steam it for an extra minute or so.
- Use baking paper to wrap the prawns when steaming. The prawns will not lose much water when they is wrapped up with baking sheet, thus retaining their natural sweetness and maintaining their crunchiness.
- Be careful not to be scorched by the steam inside when uncovering the baking sheet..
- Pour hot oil over the spring onions to release a wonderful fragrance from the spring onions - this step is essential!
- For steaming, the water should reach the same level as the top of the steaming rack.
Thanks for sharing this article.
Place a steamer basket over the water, and bring water to a boil. Place the dish with the shrimp onto the steamer basket. Cover wok, and steam prawns for 10 minutes, until opaque. Serve hot.
Can’t wait to make this.