Prawns

Prawns are probably the most widespread and popular crustacean of all. They live in both cold and warm water and are available all year round.

Of the cold-water variety, the Dublin Bay prawn, also known as langoustine or scampi, are the finest and most expensive and ideally should only be bought whilst alive and frisky. Since prawns are often trawled in deep water they would have to be processed and blast-frozen and so, once defrosted, they deteriorate rapidly, become mushy and difficult to peel.