Cooking With Prawns

Peeling

• Gently twist the head and pull it from the prawn’s body.
• Using your fingers, roll off the shell from the underside with the legs still attached to the shell.
• Gently squeeze the tail and carefully remove it. If you wish, the tail flap can remain attached to the body to enhance presentation.

Deveining

• Using your fingers, strip out the black intestinal tract (vein) completely. For uncooked (raw) prawns, you may need to use a small knife to make a shallow cut along the back before removing the intestinal tract.

Butterflying

• This is usually done on uncooked prawns. It is used to increase both the visual appeal and the apparent size of the prawns. Cut the peeled prawn lengthwise, almost right through the flesh and along its entire length. This can be done along the stomach, which is the traditional method.
  
• Alternatively, you can cut along the back of the prawn to give a circular shape and larger appearance. Deveining can be done at the same time as this butterfly preparation method. The tail is traditionally left on the butterfly prawns.

Cooking

• Be careful not to overcook prawns!
• Seafood should be cooked until it is almost done. It will continue to cook even after it is removed from the heat source, so should be removed shortly before completion of the required cooking time.