Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Fried Prawns with Chilli, Garlic and Salt


Seafood lovers, are your drooling? Look at these big beautiful prawns my dad gave me.


They came back with me by air, beautifully frozen and neatly packed. Thanks Pa! 



Before the Chinese New Year, my dad bought a whole lot of fish and prawns. On the day I arrived home with my brother, my mum prepared a feast of fried fish with taucheow (beanpaste) and these gorgeous prawns.


My mum's fried prawns. Plain and simple but oh so delicious!
I have never been a seafood enthusiast (I prefer chicken anytime) but I relished the prawns! My mum fried the prawns with just salt and yet they tasted so good. The fish was also fantastic and will be featured in a future post.



When I gratefully agreed to bring home a packet of prawns, my mum suggested that I try the prawns with the classic mixture of chillies, garlic and salt (we call it "han chio eam"). This trinity of ingredients combine to give you an explosion of flavours which you simply have to try it to believe it.



I defrosted these huge prawns overnight in the fridge and brought them out to room temperature before carefully frying them, one at a time in hot oil.



There was some degree of splattering but I am now immune to these minor explosions after earlier experience frying fish. Oh well, I would endure any number of explosions just to eat this :)



After mixing the fried prawns with the aromatic fried chilli, garlic and salt mix, it was time to get my hands dirty. 



Get down and dirty - peel the shells and dip the prawns into the spice paste and oil. 



Total ecstasy I tell you! I served these prawns with my mum's French Salad and it was a perfect low carb meal. 



Thanks again Pa for the prawns and Mummy for the inspiring recipe!










Fried Prawns with Chilli, Garlic and Salt
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- 8 large prawns
- enough oil to fry the prawns

Chilli, Garlic and Salt paste :
- 8 dried chillies, soaked to soften
- 2 fresh red chillies
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp salt or to taste

Method :
1. Heat oil in wok and deep fry the prawns until cooked. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
2. Blend chillies, garlic and salt.
3. In the same oil used to fry the prawns, saute the paste until it is aromatic and slightly browned.
4. Return the prawns into the wok and stir to evenly coat the prawns with sauteed ingredients.
5. Serve immediately.


48 comments:

  1. Very simple ingredients and very delicious prawns, thanks for sharing this recipe!

    I love prawns, and I particularly love their heads, especially heads with lots of that orange roe.. Oh my.. Yeah, I am aware of that cholesterol thingy, but I always cannot resist prawn heads.. Sometimes I only dig the heads and leave the body for the rest.. The people are always very thankful for taking those heads away from them, tee hee..

    I like "jiu yim" prawns, means prawns with only pepper and salt. I guess if those prawns are fresh, it will be still delicious nomatter what way you cook them..

    So did you ditch the heads of you swallowed the heads like me?

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    1. Hah..hah...Louiz, now I can come out of the closet! I also love the heads lor! I love the roe and whatever ooeey gooey stuff in there. If they are fried very crispy then I swallow the head. There is where all the flavour is. Fresh prawns would taste very good no matter what style of cooking. Don't know when can get this type of prawns again.

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    2. Gip me 5! Sometimes, people ask me "can't see any shells on your plate.. where are the shells"?
      I can swallow the whole thing like you if the prawns are crispy..
      Lazy to use fork & spoon and pretend to be "see mun" to peel the shells, so just put the whole damn thing into the mouth and nom nom nom. Senang, keke..

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    3. That's right! No need to sibuk-sibuk get our hands dirty. After all the shells got calcium mah...

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  2. Indeed I am drooling on this beautiful Wednesday morning when Im still yet to have my breakfast. I guess who doesnt drool looking at this delicious big prawns. The paste must be very tasty to make up for this dish.

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    1. Hi Mel! The chilli paste mix is very appetizing. I really enjoyed peeling and eating the prawns!

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  3. Good morning Phong Hong, I love prawns and your delicious prawns made me drooling.... Thumbs up for it!

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    1. Good morning, Ann! You will definitely love these prawns :)

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  4. Hi Phong Hong, lovely fried prawns with salad, hmmmm...... nice.

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    1. Thanks, Kimmy! I had a great meal that day hah..hah...

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  5. Hi Phong Hong,
    If you are my neighbour, I would be thick-skin and invite myself over! These looks so good, and I absolutely love eating prawns! Yummmmmmmmy!!!

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    1. Hah..hah...I would be happy to share the prawns with you, Joyce!

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  6. Phong Hong the prawns look so big and fresh this is a very yummy dish I just love to eat it envy you!!!

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    1. EE, you can buy prawns and cook! Emily will love it!

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  7. Phong Hong, what a beautiful and delicious prawns, we all love prawns especially my youngest son.
    i also got some big prawns and this is best recipe for me to try.

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    1. Hi xing hui! Yes, you can try this. Maybe less chillies for your boys :)

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  8. Tak aci ni....keluar prawns pulak...got crabs or not? Droolllll

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    1. heh..he...setahung sekali. Don't fancy crabs because to lazy to crack and peel the shells!

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  9. The prawn really BIG to me...I love prawns but some how not everyone in the family like it, so it seldom appear at home!

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    1. Hi Jozelyn! These prawns a very big and as a prawn lover you would have enjoyed them very much :)

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  10. Looks yummmmyyyy! WE love prawns too, this looks like an excellent way to eat it :)

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    1. Hi Yen! The prawns were finger licking good!

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  11. Wow....These BIG prawns look soooooooo sedap!!!! Your have a lovely papa :)

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    1. Hi Esther! Yes, I love my Papa! And my Mummy too! Thanks to them I had a fantastic prawn meal hee..hee...

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  12. Your prawns are really making my mouth water!

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    1. Hi Mich! Oh yes, I think you would have very happily eaten a prawn or two :)

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  13. Phong Hong, I would love to sit down at the table with your and enjoy those yummy prawns. with the amazing chilli garlic paste (my favorite)...pile up a bunch of the skins on the side (saving them for later to make a seafood stock out of them)
    Your colorful, spicy, and flavorful dishes always make me hungry to want to make your latest right away!
    Happy Valentine's Day! Hugs,

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    1. That would have been wonderful, wouldn't it Elisabeth? Oh dear me, I did not think about saving the skins. I could have made a great flavourful soup with that! Note to self : keep prawn shells! And Happy Valentine's Day!

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  14. Hi Phong Hong,

    I can only drool at these prawns because of my allergy, I can't eat them... Very sad, isn't it?

    Zoe

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    1. Oh dear, Zoe! You are missing out, poor you! But it's OK, there are lots of other wonderful food that you can eat :)

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  15. Tempting! Beautifully fried. Wishing you Happy Chap Goh Meh and Happy Valentine's Day!

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    1. Thank you! Happy Chap Goh Meh and Valentine's Day to you too!

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  16. Ooooo....GIANT tiger prawns. Must have cost a bomb. How much a kg there. Here, probably RM40-50...but not easy to get. Always grabbed by restaurants.

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    1. Arthur, they were RM60 per kg and worth every cent my dad spent! Lucky me :)

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  17. Hi Phong Hong, you miss me, you miss me not, hahaha, sampat lah me. So good to come back the world of blogging. If someone shows me the picture of your dish, I will still able to guess is my friend's Phong Hong kind of dish, haha. Chilli, hmmm, still can't take it but would like to imagine their taste. The prawns look huge hoh.

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    1. Hi Jessie! Of course I missed you! Wah, disappear for so long. Eh, must go check and see if your blog on again. You can fry the prawns with just salt like my mum did and they taste just as fantastic. No need chillies!

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  18. Wow! I am so drooling! I love prawns a lot! I would be in heaven if these are in front of me for real instead of on the pc screen:P Happy Chap Goh Meh to you:D

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    1. Hi Jeannie! Prawn lover sure go crazy over this dish, huh? Happy Chap Goh Meh to you too!

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  19. Drooling .... thank God I just had my lunch, if not I can't sleep tonight thinking about this delicious and absolutely appetizing prawn dish. Happy Chap Goh Meh and Happy Valentine's Day to you and love ones :)

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    1. Hi Iriene! Hee..hee..I really don't know when I can have another prawn fest! Hope you have a wonderful Chap Goh Meh and Happy Valentine's Day!

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  20. Hi Phong Hong, This is sure finger licking good!!! I love prawns and yours is so delectable and I can even clean up the gravy as well. This is too tempting. Drooling..... Happy Valentine's Day to you :)

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    1. Hi Ivy, if I can eat rice I would have put my rice into the oil! Come to think of it, this could be nice with pasta. Happy Valentine's Day!

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  21. Hi PH, The giant prawns look gorgeous! Mouth-watering and finger-licking good!. You are so lucky!

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    1. Hi Doris! Yes, I am very lucky to have a chance to eaten these juicy prawns!

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  22. Replies
    1. Yalor, until lick the plate hee..hee..

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  23. Hi Phong Hong, wowoooo, I sure love this prawn dish. AWESOME! I can practically smell the fragrant scent from here. :)) Best regards.

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    1. Amelia, do try this recipe when you have big prawns!

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