Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Salted Egg Yolk Prawns
黃金蝦
Recipe overview
Salted Egg Yolk Prawns are partly pan-fried prawns coated with a fragrant golden sandy mixture of cooked salted egg yolk, butter and curry leaves. This official version has no chilli, cereal, cheese or mayonnaise and is best with rice.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 500 g medium-large prawns, about 16–18, trimmed, peeled with tails on and deveined
- 4 salted egg yolks
- 4 garlic cloves
- 10–12 curry leaves
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp evaporated milk
- 20 g butter
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp cornstarch Shrimp coating:
- 1/8 tsp white pepper Shrimp marinade:
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine Shrimp marinade:
- 1 tsp cornstarch Shrimp marinade:
- 1/4 tsp salt Shrimp marinade:
- 1/2 tsp sugar Sauce seasoning:
- a pinch of white pepper Sauce seasoning:
02
Tools
- cutting board
- knife
- large bowl
- 2 small bowls
- heatproof dish
- measuring spoons
- steamer or lidded pot
- colander
- paper towels
- frying pan or wok
- frying pan or wok
- spatula
- fork or spoon
03
Steps
Step 1
Clean
Clean, trim, peel with tails on, butterfly and devein prawns; rinse quickly and drain.
Step 2
Pat completely dry
Pat completely dry; mix with salt, white pepper, Shaoxing wine and cornstarch, then marinate 10 minutes.
Step 3
Step 3
Steam salted egg yolks on a heatproof dish over steam on medium heat for 8 minutes; cool slightly.
Step 4
Mash cooked yolks finely
Mash cooked yolks finely; mince garlic and wash, drain and dry curry leaves.
Step 5
Step 5
Lightly coat prawns with 2 tbsp cornstarch; do not make thick batter.
Step 6
Step 6
Preheat pan 1 minute over medium heat with 2 tbsp oil; fry 1–1.5 minutes per side until orange-red, lightly golden and about 80% cooked, then remove.
Step 7
Step 7
Pour away excess oil leaving about 1 tbsp; melt 20 g butter over medium-low heat.
Step 8
Step 8
Stir-fry garlic and curry leaves 30 seconds until fragrant, not brown.
Step 9
Add mashed salted egg yolks
Add mashed salted egg yolks, sugar and white pepper; stir 40–60 seconds until fine and sandy.
Step 10
Step 10
Add 2 tbsp evaporated milk and stir 15–20 seconds; keep thick and dry, not runny.
Step 11
Return prawns and toss 1–1
Return prawns and toss 1–1.5 minutes over medium heat. They are done only when curled, fully opaque and with no grey translucent centre.
Step 12
Step 12
Turn off heat when dry golden sandy coating is even and the pan has no excess liquid; serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Wet prawns release water.
- Too much cornstarch tastes powdery.
- Uncooked or unmashed yolks form lumps.
- Burnt garlic or curry leaves are bitter.
- Too much milk makes wet sauce.
- Over-frying makes prawns tough.
- Do not turn this into cereal, cheese or spicy prawns.
Tips
Dry and lightly coat prawns. Mash yolks finely. Use curry leaves only for aroma. Fry prawns to about 80% first. If wet, cook the yolk drier. Eat hot. Keep this version non-spicy; adults can add heat separately.
