Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Cantonese Soy Sauce Pan-Fried Prawns
豉油王煎蝦
Recipe overview
Medium prawns are pan-fried until the shells turn bright red, then quickly glazed with soy sauce, ginger and spring onion.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g medium prawns
- 20 g ginger
- 2 spring onions
Sauce seasoning
- 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
02
Tools
- kitchen scissors
- toothpick
- colander
- kitchen paper
- raw-seafood cutting board
- vegetable cutting board
- kitchen knife
- small bowl
- measuring spoons
- wok
- wok spatula
- food thermometer
- serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Trim the prawns
First use kitchen scissors to trim the feelers and sharp legs from 500 g prawns for about 2 minutes; the bodies and heads should remain intact.
Step 2
Remove the veins
Next use a toothpick at the second back segment of each of the 500 g prawns; after about 3 minutes no dark vein should remain.
Step 3
Rinse and dry
Rinse 500 g prawns in a colander for 30 seconds, then press dry with kitchen paper; immediately wash and disinfect the cutting board and knife that touched the raw prawns, and leave no droplets before frying.
Step 4
Cut the aromatics
On a clean vegetable cutting board, use the cleaned kitchen knife to shred 20 g ginger and cut 2 spring onions into 4 cm lengths; keep the neat piles separate after about 2 minutes.
Step 5
Mix the soy glaze
In a small bowl, use measuring spoons to mix 1.5 tbsp light soy, 1 tsp dark soy, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine and 2 tbsp water for 30 seconds until most sugar dissolves.
Step 6
Heat the oil
Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat for about 45 seconds; add prawns only when the oil shimmers without smoking.
Step 7
Fry the first side
Lay 500 g prawns in one layer in the wok and fry undisturbed over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until the undersides turn bright red and lightly browned.
Step 8
Turn and fry
Turn all 500 g prawns with a wok spatula and fry for 2 minutes; their bodies should curl and both sides of the shells should be red.
Step 9
Fry the ginger
Add 20 g shredded ginger to the wok and toss with the prawns for 30 seconds, waiting for lightly golden edges and fragrance before adding sauce.
Step 10
Pour in the glaze
Pour all the soy mixture from the small bowl into the wok and toss over high heat for 1 minute, until it bubbles and lightly coats the shells.
Step 11
Add spring onion
Add the 2 cut spring onions and 1 tsp sesame oil; toss with the wok spatula for 30 seconds, then stop when onions wilt, flesh is opaque and the thickest part reaches 75°C.
Step 12
Rest and plate
Turn off the heat, rest the glazed prawns in the wok for 1 minute, then plate with the spatula; the shells should look glossy red with no watery pool.
Common mistakes
- Wet prawns spit in hot oil and fail to brown.
- Crowding prawns in overlapping layers makes them steam.
- Adding the soy glaze before the shells redden burns its sugar.
- Continuing after the flesh turns opaque makes the prawns tough.
Tips
Dry the prawns thoroughly and fry in one layer. Add the glaze only after the shells redden, then stop once it clings lightly and the flesh is opaque or reaches 75°C.
