Prawns, Raw

Most prawns previously available in Britain were sold cooked, either shelled or unshelled. However, it is increasingly possible to buy large uncooked prawns, known as Pacific or king prawns, usually in frozen form. These are most suitable for the recipes used in this book.

Most Asian or Chinese grocers, and many fishmongers and some supermarkets, stock them frozen and in the shell. Fresh prawns are occasionally available. In any case, frozen uncooked prawns are always preferable to cooked prawns, which in most cases are already overcooked and so will not absorb the virtues of any sauce you cook them in.