Prawns taste phenomenal when stir-fried perfectly, even if it is simply fried in olive oil, butter or just good cooking oil. Add to it any aromatics and these crustaceans both release and absorb an even richer flavor that is wonderfully complex.
You can adjust more to flavoring by simply adding salt, or soy sauce and some sugar, or a good chili sauce, sambal, or curry powder or paste. In Singapore we love it marinated with tamarind, a little sugar and some salt or soy sauce.
The basic way to stir fry prawns is easy. The most important thing is cooking these guys perfectly. Fry the prawns quickly on one side until they turn color, curl and firm up, then flip them over and fry them the same way. To be sure cut one up quickly to see if the center is firm and opaque. Then quickly remove prawns from heat and don’t overcook. This process moves very quickly so be ready.
In this recipe prawn is cooked with garlic and spring onion and all the flavors work very well together. It’s very easy, done very quickly and very tasty.
I added cornstarch to the sauce to keep prawns smooth and juicy. You can skip that and just season with salt. See below for notes on how to select and prep prawns for cooking. This dish is not meant to have a watery sauce. The seasoning sauce serves to glace the prawns and spring onions.
In Asia, especially Hong Kong, restaurants display live prawns for you to fish out with a net. Here, I settle for frozen. I could have bought prawns from the market and peel them myself but frozen prawns is so convenient to use. They are also very fresh when thawed. For this recipe I used peeled, deveined with tail-on raw shrimp that are about 3 inches long, or about 31-40 per pound.
Stir Fry Prawns in Ginger Garlic Sauce
Basic recipe
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes (not counting defrosting)
Cooking time: 10 minutes
¾ pound medium size prawns, peeled and deveined, with tail on
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic, finely julienned
½ tablespoon finely sliced ginger
¼ cup sliced onion
3 stalks spring onions, cut in 1 inch strips
Seasoning sauce
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
1½ tablespoons sake, Shaoxing or rice wine
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Leave frozen prawns in colander to defrost and drain. When prawns soften, sprinkle with salt and toss lightly. Set aside to continue draining until ready to fry. Just before frying, sprinkle cornstarch over prawns and toss to dry and coat prawns well.
In a bowl, make seasoning sauce by combining soy sauce, wine, water and cornstarch. Set aside.
Heat a non-stick wok or frying pan. Add half the oil and coat the pan. When oil is heated, add prawns and fry prawns on one side on medium high heat, shaking pan occasionally to slide prawns over hot surface. Fry until prawns firm up, curl and change to a pinkish color on bottom side. Flip prawns over to fry other side. Do not brown. When prawns change color on second side, dish out and set aside.
Add the rest of oil, heat and then add garlic and ginger, and fry until garlic softens. Add onion, fry for 10-15 seconds and return prawns to pan. Fry until prawns are perfectly cooked, about 30 seconds. Test one prawn by quickly cutting it in half to check it is opaque right through. Immediately add seasoning sauce and spring onion and stir well until sauce glazes ingredients. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish.
