Species
Prawns
Description
Available wild-caught. It is a bottom-dwelling, deepwater Prawn found mainly on muddy bottoms at depths of 350-550m and caught mainly by demersal trawl nets off the NSW coast from Port Stephens to Ulladulla, with a small commercial catch off north-western WA, though it does occur around most of the Australian coast from far north Queensland south to north-western WA.
Other Names
Jack-knife Shrimp, Pink Prawn, Redspot King Prawn.
Family
Solenoceridae (Penaeid Prawns).
Season
Available year round.
Size and Weight
Average 25g and 7-10cm, but can grow to 20cm.
Price
Low priced.
Relations
Other Prawns (though Royal Reds are the only commercial member of the Solenoceridae family in Australia).
To Buy
Look for brightly coloured, firm, intact, lustrous shells, without any discolouration, particularly at joints, and a pleasant fresh sea smell.
Unlike most Prawn species, Royal Reds are rarely cooked at sea. They are sometimes frozen at sea, but mostly they’re just chilled and, once ashore, processed into frozen prawn meat.
If cooking with Prawns, buy green (raw) Prawns, as cooked Prawns will toughen if reheated.
To Store
Royal Red Prawns are most commonly sold peeled and frozen, as the flesh spoils very quickly. They can be stored frozen for up to 3 months below -18ºC. Thaw frozen Prawns overnight in the refrigerator just before needed. Once thawed, frozen Prawns should not be refrozen.
To Cook
Average yield is 45%. Has a mild flavour, low-medium oiliness and moist, soft flesh, which is pink even when raw.
It has a thinner shell than other prawns and tends to give off more liquid when cooked, making it advisable to slightly reduce the liquid in recipes if using Royal Red Prawns.
Make an incision along the back of the Prawn to remove the digestive tract.
Cooking Methods
Royal Red Prawns are a less expensive alternative in dishes where the appearance of the whole Prawn is not essential, such as where they are battered or the meat is chopped or minced. Deep-fry, pan-fry, stir-fry, grill or barbecue.
Like all seafood, Prawns require very little cooking; it is always better to undercook, rather than overcook, them, as they will continue to cook in the residual heat once they are removed from the pan.
Goes Well With
Butter, chilli, garlic, ginger, herbs, lemon, lime, mayonnaise, olive oil, salad greens, soy sauce, tomato.
Alternatives
Other Prawns, Bugs, Marron, Redclaw, Rock Lobsters, Yabby.
Imports
Frozen Prawns, whole and as peeled tails, are imported, mainly from South East Asia. Vannamei Prawns (Litopenaeus vannamei) from South East Asia and Paradise Prawns (Litopenaeus stylirostris) from the South Pacific are two of the most common imports.
Recipes
Laksa Lemak (Spicy Noodle Soup)
Prawn Fried Rice
Prawn San Choy Bow
Steamed Prawn Dumplings
Mixed Seafood Dishes
Black Handkerchief Pasta with Seafood & Tomato Sauce
Lemony Seafood Crêpes
Linguine ai Frutti di Mare
Mini Seafood Spring Rolls with Plum Sauce
Seafood Gumbo
Seafood Pie with Leek, Garlic & Chives
Seafood Risotto
Spicy Seafood Noodles (Char Kway Teow)
Vietnamese-style Stuffed Squid with Asian Slaw