Recipe for Braised Prawns in Oil (Fresh, Sweet and Rich—No Fail!)

(Cooking wine 2 tbsp + salt 1/2 tsp; Seasonings; Choose prawns about 20cm long; Sauce ingredients: Light soy sauce 2 tbsp + dark soy sauce 1 tsp + white sugar 1 tsp + rice vinegar 1/2 tsp + water 1/2 bowl; Ginger slices 5 + garlic 3 cloves (smashed); Tools: Wok, Skimmer, Toothpick)

This is a classic dish suitable for both dinner parties and daily meals. The prawn shells are crispy, the meat is tender, and coated in a savory – sweet and rich sauce. Each bite is full of seafood flavor. The cooking method isn’t too complicated—master a few tips and you’ll succeed!

1. Ingredients (Serves 2 – 3)

Main Ingredients:

• 300 – 400 grams of fresh prawns (Choose fresh sea prawns, king prawns, or grass prawns. Medium – sized ones are ideal; too large ones are hard to absorb flavor, and too small ones have little meat. For frozen prawns, thaw them in advance and pat dry with paper towels.)
• 1 small piece of ginger (Sliced, essential for removing fishy odors)
• 3 cloves of garlic (Minced, to enhance aroma; reduce to 1 clove if you don’t like garlic)
• 2 green onions (Cut into sections, separate the white and green parts. Sprinkle the green parts at the end to boost aroma)

Seasonings (Common in daily kitchens, available at Asian supermarkets):

• 3 – 4 tablespoons of cooking oil (A little more is needed for frying prawns to extract prawn oil)
• 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce (Enhances freshness and saltiness; do not replace with dark soy sauce as it will be too salty)
• 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce (Used in small amounts for coloring to make the sauce light reddish – brown; can be omitted if unavailable)
• 5 – 6 pieces of rock sugar (or 1 teaspoon of white sugar, neutralizes saltiness and adds a sweet – fresh taste)
• 1 tablespoon of cooking wine (Removes fishy odors; beer can be used as a substitute for a unique flavor)
• 2 – 3 tablespoons of water (For simmering, to prevent the sauce from being too thick and sticky)
• 1 small handful of white sesame seeds (Optional, sprinkled at the end to enhance aroma; it’s okay if you don’t have them)

2. Required Tools

• Frying pan or wok (A wok is more suitable for stir – frying, while a frying pan is less likely to stick when frying prawns)
• Kitchen scissors (Convenient for cutting off prawn whiskers and prawn beaks, easier than a kitchen knife)
• Paper towels (For patting dry the surface of prawns to prevent oil splatters when frying)
• Spatula (For stir – frying prawns; either a silicone spatula or a wooden spatula is fine to avoid scratching the pan)
• Small bowl (For preparing the sauce in advance to make the operation more efficient)

3. Detailed Steps

Step 1: Prepare the Prawns (Key! Affects Taste and Hygiene)

(Marinate with rice wine + ginger + salt for 10 mins; Remove the prawn vein, cut off prawn whiskers and legs)

1. Rinse the prawns thoroughly with clean water and place them on paper towels to pat dry the surface (Be sure to pat them dry, otherwise the oil will splatter heavily when frying).
2. Use kitchen scissors to cut off the prawn whiskers and prawn beaks (The prawn beaks are sharp and easy to prick your mouth when eating).
3. Slit the back and remove the vein: Use scissors to make a slit about 2/3 deep from 1 cm behind the prawn head (Do not cut all the way through). Then use a toothpick to pick out the black prawn vein from between the 2nd and 3rd segments of the prawn’s back (The prawn vein is the prawn’s digestive tract, which has a fishy smell and must be removed).
4. Place the prepared prawns on a plate, sprinkle a pinch of salt, and mix well (To season the base in advance, optional).

Step 2: Prepare the Sauce in Advance (Avoid Chaos During Cooking)

(When frying, gently press the prawn heads with a spatula to extract the prawn roe; Fry until both sides are red and curled)

1. Take a small bowl, pour in 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, 5 – 6 pieces of rock sugar, and 2 – 3 tablespoons of water. Stir a few times with a spoon to slightly melt the rock sugar (It doesn’t need to be fully melted; it will melt on its own when cooking).

Step 3: Fry Prawns to Extract Oil (Key to Aroma)

(Stir – fry aromatics until fragrant; Add fried prawns and stir – fry to coat with seasonings)

1. Heat a wok or frying pan over medium heat, pour in 3 – 4 tablespoons of cooking oil (A little more than usual for stir – frying, as we need to extract prawn oil).
2. When the oil is hot (You can feel the heat when putting your hand above the pan, or there are slight ripples on the oil surface), place the prepared prawns in the pan with their backs facing down (The slit side is in contact with the bottom of the pan, making it easier to fry until fragrant and absorb flavor).
3. Fry for 1 – 2 minutes until the prawn backs turn red and the shells start to become crispy. Then gently flip the prawns with a spatula and fry the other side for about 1 minute until the entire prawns turn red (Transparent prawn oil will be extracted during frying, and the aroma will come out—do not skip this step!).
4. Push the fried prawns to one side of the pan, leaving an empty space in the middle. Add the ginger slices, white parts of the green onions, and minced garlic. Stir – fry with the remaining oil in the pan for 10 – 20 seconds until you smell the garlic aroma (Do not fry the minced garlic until burnt, as it will taste bitter).

Step 4: Simmer and Thicken the Sauce (Coat the Prawns with Sauce)

(Simmer covered for 5 mins to absorb flavor)

1. Pour the prepared sauce into the pan, stir a few times with a spatula to coat each prawn with the sauce.
2. Turn to low heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 2 – 3 minutes (Do not simmer for too long, otherwise the prawn meat will become tough; if using frozen prawns, you can simmer for an extra 1 minute).
3. Uncover the pan, turn to medium heat, and keep stirring the prawns with a spatula (To prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan) until the sauce thickens to about half of its original amount (It should be able to cling to the prawn shells. Do not thicken it too much—leave a little sauce to mix with rice, it’s super delicious!).

Step 5: Plate and Finish

(Stir constantly until sauce thickens)

1. Place the prawns on a plate, drizzle the remaining sauce in the pan over them, sprinkle with the green parts of the green onions and white sesame seeds (Optional), and serve hot for the best taste!

4. Tips for Success

• Prevent oil splatters when frying prawns: Be sure to pat the surface of the prawns dry with paper towels, and add the prawns to the pan only after the oil is hot—do not add them to cold oil.
• Keep prawn meat tender: Do not simmer for more than 3 minutes. After the prawns turn red, simmer for another 2 minutes and they will be basically cooked. Overcooking will make the meat tough.
• Secret to better flavor: Slitting the back not only removes the vein but also allows the sauce to seep into the prawn meat, making it 10 times more fragrant than prawns without slitting the back!
• Substitution options: Replace cooking wine with beer, rock sugar with white sugar, and fresh prawns with frozen prawns (But fresh prawns have a more bouncy texture).
• Serving suggestions: It pairs perfectly with rice and noodles! Mix the remaining sauce with staple foods—nothing goes to waste.

(Sweet & savory, tender meat with rich sauce; Can be eaten with the sauce)