There is something very inviting and almost enticing about garlic butter prawns (shrimp)! And I for one will not shy away from falling into the succulent, garlicky and simply pleasurable experience of a well prepared and cooked garlic butter prawn (shrimp).
The simple fact that this ridiculously simple yet flavourful garlic prawn recipe can be served as a starter (appetiser) or as a main dish in little to no time is brilliant! Just think in 20 minutes or less you could be sat at your table enjoying a bowl or plate of this buttery pan-seared garlic prawns (shrimp), wouldn’t that be the dream?
Well, let’s see how we can make that come true!
First, of all when anything has butter as a main ingredient expect for it to scream comfort and flavour! This prawns recipe mixed with flavour packed buttery goodness is no different, in fact butter and garlic are key features which can mean that this recipes runs a risk of becoming addictive and I’m not surprised!
Fun fact, I actually grew up unsure about seafood ,I actually avoided it most times so I must say over the years my main introduction to seafood was by way of garlic pan seared prawns! So this is a special recipe for me as prawns and shrimps are the proteins that won me over and I am grateful!
Is there a difference between prawns and shrimp?
Well, yes and no! The most confusing part when you initially realise that there is a difference is trying to see the difference which is there but I feel isn’t so obvious. But essentially prawns and shrimp are in many ways interchangeable when it comes to preparation and cooking. And, no! this isn’t one of those scenario’s where the British and American’s have different terms for the same thing like coriander (brits) and cilantro (state-side).
The main difference is in their anatomy, I won’t get too sciencey but they are from the same family of Decapod crustaceans, meaning they both have ten legs and possess external skeletons. Also, their body anatomy is slightly different to that of shrimp. But generally speaking, prawns are larger than shrimp.
What you need for Garlic Prawns
Garlic Butter Sauce:
Butter
Lemon
Olive oil
White wine
Parsley
Fresh Ginger
Fresh Garlic
Pan seared prawns:
Prawns
Garlic Powder
Cornflour
Mixed Herbs
Paprika
How to make garlic butter prawns quick and easy
What is the best way to cook prawns?
Prawns can be cooked in various ways and still deliver on flavour and retain good texture!
You can pan sear, steam, boil, fry, bake or even broil either way it all comes down to preference.
But in all cases prawns shouldn’t take no more than 2-3 minutes to cook.
If you want to know..how can I stop my shrimp from becoming tough and rubbery?
Well that is simple, all cooked prawn (shrimp) will turn pink to orange throughout the flesh. The flesh will lose all translucency and become opaque. So far so good a visible change that even a beginner can note! Also note another indicator is the prawn will curl to a “C” shape. However if overcooked shrimp will curl to an “O” shape.
- Season the prawns and leave to marinate for 10 -20 minutes
- In a large pan heat olive oil and butter
- Place seasoned prawns in the pan
- Cook until prawns (shrimps) curl into a C which takes 2-3mins
- Remove prawns from pan
- In the same pan add butter, garlic, white wine and parsley and stir well
- Finally add pre-cooked prawns in the sauce and mix well for 1-2mins before quickly removing and serving while hot
Should you leave shell-on or shell-off when cooking prawns (Shrimp)
One of the most debated topic when it comes to the making or preparation or prawns (shrimp) is should you leave the shell on or take shell off? Very often most people are puzzled especially when they’re new to cooking seafood and clearly don’t know what recommended for practical and also safety reasons! I hear you asking ‘safety?’ and, yes as someone who grew up unsure about seafood one of the main reasons was entered around this question of ‘should I remove the shell or keep the shell on when cooking?’. Once I worked out the below facts eating prawns or shrimp with or without the shell/peel become less of a worry I stopped getting freaked out!
One of the reasons for keeping the shell on the prawns (shrimp) would be to simply enhance the flavour of the meal you are cooking! Naturally the other reason to leave the shell-on the prawn/shrimp is to help them retain moisture and not dry out during the cooking process which is obviously important as dry or overcooked prawns are no-good!
But it’s all dependant of how you are going to cook your prawns (shrimp) leaving the shell-on can be great for when you’re grilling larger prawns, making a seafood stew or pan-searing with the vision of creating a beautiful plant at the end! Prawns/shrimp with shell on are easier to plate or present as the shell maintains the lovely structure of the prawns.
Of, course a downside to leaving the shell/peel on is that it can be messy when at the table, and also some recipes like pasta dishes or salad variations might be better with shell-off as you can create a hands off experience unless you like getting stuck in!
Please note it’s all about preference as the prawns/shrimp are so versatile they can be enjoyed either way with compromising too much flavour.
Top Tip: If you remove the shell keep the peels in a bag and freeze! And when you’re ready to make a seafood stock reach for your collection of shells/peels add to your stock pot along with vegetables, herbs like thyme, bay leaf and other fish bones and you’ll have a pot of goodness that you can use as stock!
How to cut, clean and prepare prawns properly and safely
Well, the second more concerning question when venturing into cooking prawns/shrimp is ‘how do I clean prawns properly before cooking?’ and followed but closely is ‘how do I devein prawns?’. And I had all these questions too because I wanted to just get on with it and start cooking so here is what you should do.
Start by cleaning the prawns (shrimp) under cold water, if you’re leaving the peel on them you need to clean the shrimp by deveining without compromising the shell! Now this isn’t hard but you will have to try it a few times.
- If you want the whole prawn/shrimp to remain intact then using a sharp knife make an incision at the pack of the prawns head
- You will see a black vein try your best to pull out, make take a few goes but it’s worth it is you want the full prawn presentation
- If peeling the shell then start with the head either cut it off or twist it off
- The vein should be easier to access now so you pull it out and throwaway
- Keep the peels and store in the freezer if you like stock as mention above
What is the black thing in prawns (Shrimp)?
I was wondering the same things as you! thoughts like ‘Is the black thing in shrimp poop?’ followed by ‘hmm I wonder what happens when I cook or eat prawns that have not been deveined?’. Well, here are some facts:
- Yes the black stuff you see or that is referred to as a vein is intact the poop of the shrimp!
- So, yes the term deveining can be misleading as this is definitely not a vein but in fact is a very delicate digestive tract – I felt like a scientist explaining that – ha!
What happens if you eat shrimps without deveining?
Well the answer is well… it’s not recommended but in most cases not much will happen to you apart from maybe the taste might be compromised making it more sandy and texture me be a little different.
As, someone who ventured into seafood not so long ago the main things for me was ‘oh Lord, this is poop!’ which didn’t help my eating experience but now I know better. As prawns and shrimps are plankton and algae most of what is actually contained in the vein aka digestive track is all non-toxic, although in some rare but possible cases some people can be allergic to the matter in the vein.
So, to be safe and also enhance your dinning experience remove the vein, enjoy the rewarding taste of fresh prawns (shrimp) meat and save the squeamish ones like my former-self from overthinking it all!
Tips for buying prawns and how to know they are fresh:
This can be very easy!
Firstly, if all the above talk of deveining and cleaning the prawns/shrimp sounds too daunting
then park that thought right here and you should simply go to the supermarket and purchase already cleaned, deveined and shelled prawns. Only job remaining is to defrost in the fridge and once defrosted simply rinse and cook!
This is sometimes a more ideal solution if you live in an area where there isn’t a lot of fishing happening and access to ‘catch of the days’ are not accessible leaving you with frozen as the only option.
However, if you want to be experimental and go out to discover the local fish mongers or seafood deli’s at your local supermarket this is what you should be looking for:
Smell test:
- It should not have a strong fishy smell
- It should smell clean, like saltwater, or the sea.
Touch taste:
- Don’t be afraid to press the body of the prawn (shrimp) with your finger.
- Take notice If your finger leaves an indentation, that shrimp isn’t fresh.
- Pair that with the smell test and you figure it out faster
Top Tip: When defrosting prawns aim to remove from freezer straight into the fridge for up to 12hours to allow them to defrost safely as prawns/shrimp are perishables. Leaving outside exposed to the elements could be dangerous as the defrost very quickly and bacterial build up fast! So be safe have patients and leave in the fridge otherwise buy them fresh on the day!
How to make garlic butter prawns video
Watch cook this garlic butter prawns recipe
RECIPE CARD:
Ingredients:
Full recipe with amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
240g Prawns
2 tbsp Butter
1/2 Lemon
2 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 glass White wine
Parsley
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tbsp Fresh Ginger
4 Cloves, Fresh Garlic
2 tsp All Purpose Seasoning
2 tbsp Cornflour
2 tsp Mixed Herbs
1 tsp Paprika
Instructions:
- Season the prawns with garlic powder, paprika, mixed herbs, all purpose seasoning and finish off with cornflour this will create that nice crispy finish
- Place in a bowl in the fridge and leave to marinate for 10 -20 minutes
- In a large pan heat olive oil and butter on low – medium heat to avoid the butter from burning
- Place seasoned prawns in the pan making sure to turn all with a minute of cooking as they cook very fast
- Cook until prawns (shrimps) curl into a C which takes 2-3mins
- Remove prawns from pan and set aside to cool down while you prepare sauce
- In the same pan add butter, garlic, white wine and parsley and stir well to create an aromatic garlic butter sauce
- Finally add pre-cooked prawns in the sauce and mix well for 1-2mins before quickly removing and serving while hot
- Serve on a side of rice, salad or baguette
