5 Ways to Prepare Spot Prawns

By Anthony Lin

2025 Jun 16

Spot Prawns are some of the bigger relatives of the shrimp family, with a bigger sweet-savory flavor to match. And while the typical preparations like grilling or serving in pasta are perfectly fine, if you're looking for a more chefy preparation, here are 5 ideas to get you started on that road:

1. Adding Spice

Sweet is the flavor counterbalance to spice, and with the natural sweetness of spot prawns, they're a good candidate to bring in a little heat. The sky's the limit here, everything from jalapenos to shishito pepper to dry spice mixes like milagai podi or blackened seasoning. Err on the conservative side when adding seasonings to not overpower the natural flavor of spot prawns.

2. Mince for Dumplings or Shrimp Toast

A bit more technical, spot prawns are perfectly at home being minced up and used as a filling for dishes like dumplings, siu mai, har gow (shrimp dumpling with a rice paper skin), or shrimp toast. Even though the prawns are getting pulverized, these dishes use gentler cooking methods or breading (in the case of shrimp toast) to preserve the prawn's texture and fluids. 

3. Eaten Raw

With a similar flavor profile to Japanese Amaebi (sweet shrimp), spot prawns can also be prepared and eaten raw. Whether in sushi or in a preparation like ceviche, consuming them raw is to have the purest taste of the prawn.Consuming raw or under-cooked seafood does carry a higher risk of food-borne illness, so exercise caution in selecting high quality products from legitimate producers and ensure that your prawns have been cleaned and shelled properly. 

4. Salt Crusted

Especially for raw preparations, salt crusts helps to develop and intensify the innate flavors of the prawns. This is more than just sprinkling a bit of salt on them as seasoning or before serving, you're encasing them in salt for a few hours up to overnight. And despite how it looks, you won't end up with an overly-salty prawn unless you don't clear off all the crust. 

5. Poaching

Common for more delicate proteins, to include a number of fish and shellfish, poaching is essentially cooking something in a broth. The gentle heat helps to preserve the texture and flavor of the item, while also adding new flavors via the poaching liquid. Many chefs use the shrimp shells to make stock, which not only minimizes waste but creates a product that can be used both here and elsewhere in the kitchen.

We have live spot prawns available in-person at our Seattle location as well as online, check them out here