cooking live spot prawns

A recent entry on the bay area board has got me craving for chinese style steamed or boiled prawns. I've seen it at restaurants and it looks delicious. I'm a little hesitant to purchase and cook live ones and mess it up given the price tag.

Can anyone help with detailed technique? And recommendation on sauces and dips would be great too.

Thank you!

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[Jzone]

Bumping this thread again to see if any of the new members in the last year have any other ideas for spot prawns. I live in Vancouver and the season started last weekend (yay!). I'm going to do a spot prawn feast for mothers day this weekend and the more ideas to choose from the better.

For those of you planning on handling them live here is some critical info.
http://www.wildbcspotprawns.com/handling

Cheers!

[EricMM]

I've already eaten them a few times this season, despite the high price...they are the best crustacean around, and I love crustaceans! I keep it as simple as possible: boil salted water, drop the live shrimp in, when it begins to return to a boil I drain them. that's it! I peel the carapace off carefully, to keep all the head meat and juices. Unbelievable!

[Shrinkrap]

Okay, but they are ALIVE ! Steaming is the most I'm comfortable with at this point..Some recipes m "rip their heads off!" or "cut then down the back!"

..Thinking of doing the stir fry AFTER steaming; any thoughts?

PS I DO love the heads.

[ipsedixit]

Reserve the heads, and deep-fry them. Yum.

[luckattack]

if you are steaming live shrimps, i don't think you cut off the head or remove the vain.
you will over cook it if u steam and then stir fry. you should pick one or the other.

[inaplasticcup]

Sometimes I steam them in about an inch of water until they just turn orange and eat them with a little fresh squeezed lemon juice mixed with just a pinch of salt and a healthy grind of black pepper.

I also like them in a spicy, stir fried preparation where I heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok or saute pan, let the oil get hot and then stir in a little black bean or oyster sauce with some sambal, fresh garlic and ginger, a pinch of sugar, and a dash of vinegar, making sure not to burn the garlic, and then toss in 10 to 12 prawns and stir occasionally until the prawns get that bright orange color.

And sometimes, I just eat them raw like sashimi, only I steam the heads to eat the brains (or whatever they really are) and all that good, sweet, nutty stuff in there with a squeeze of lemon.

[Shrinkrap]

Bumped. Just stemmed some HUGE ones, roe attached.. $18.00 a pound at county square.

[ipsedixit]

Steam.

Serve with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, black vinegar, diced garlic and some sesame oil.