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Pan-fried Garlic Butter Prawns

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Celebrating Greedy Gourmet’s 9th birthday with a beautiful prawn dish, laced with garlic and butter. Something super simple to make at home!

Fried shrimp in pan

Love seafood? Check out these cookbooks!

Just how exactly do you establish the birthday of a blog? Is it when you register its domain name? Installed the software?

Or only when you published the first post? For me these steps were a few months apart so I’ve settled on the first post published which happened to be in February 2007.

Wow, so much has changed since that first post. I was heavily pregnant at the time with my first child, Gabriel. My world changed forever when he was born.

I still felt like a stranger in a foreign country which I now comfortably call home. We lived in a tiny village where nothing, except gossip, ever happened.

Now I happily live in Chelmsford, a proper city in comparison. I was married, now I’m not. I was in my 20’s. Now I’m in my 30’s.

Although I was proud of my photos at the time, now I’m even prouder. I’m still me but evolved into an even greater version of myself.

Shell on shrimp with heads

What hasn’t changed is this original recipe. It tasted wonderful back then and it still does. Every month or so when my prawn craving hits I visit the local Chinese shop for a box or two or three of frozen prawns. (Top tip: they are much cheaper than in the supermarkets.)

Finding the Chinese shop in Chelmsford proved to be a bit of an adventure and when I finally found it I was aghast that there weren’t any shell-on prawns in stock.

I ended up ordering a few kilos and when I swang by to pick up my prize I was dismayed that they were missing their heads.

“Why do you want the heads?,” the Chinese couple asked me. “Because I eat them,” I replied. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

Here, people from a country renowned for eating dogs, snakes and other dodgy things from a westerner’s perspective, looked at my practices with incredulity.

Whatever. I refuse to be apologetic for loving prawns’ mushy brains, which happened to contain most of the flavour.

Shrimp on a serving dish

A lot of people are put off by the shells and the prospect of getting their hands dirty. Their loss, I say.

Just like meat on the bone has much more flavour than their boneless counterparts, the same counts for shell on and off seafood. I’ve bought boiled up prawns from the shop that tasted worse than cardboard.

Raw, frozen shelled prawns don’t fare much better in the flavour department either. Do yourself a favour and try the shelled version because you’ll never look back again.

As for getting your hands dirty… if you have soap and water close by then there is no issue.

Shellfish lunch

Tiger prawns have this somewhat unappealing blue, grey hue about them. Once they get cooking they turn pink. Before cooking, you will need to devein them – a handy tutorial.

That’s it, folks. I look forward to another year of blogging!

What is your favourite way of enjoying prawns?

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Heads Cooked Prawns

Pan-fried Butter & Garlic Prawns

★★★★★

4.7 from 14 reviews
  • Author: Michelle Minnaar
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 2 1x
Print Recipe

Description

In this garlic butter prawns recipe you’ll learn how to prepare shell-on prawns before pan frying them. It is an easy and quick dinner to prepare any time of the week!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 20 whole shell-on prawns, weighing about 800g (2 lb)
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) butter
  • 5ml (1 tsp) vegetable oil
  • rock salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. With a sharp knife, score down the back of the shrimp. Remove the thin, digestive tract with the tip of the knife. Repeat with the rest of the prawns. Rinse the prawns under running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Melt the butter, add the oil and generously grind salt in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and prawns, and fry over a high heat, stirring, for 3 – 4 minutes until the prawns are pink. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Notes

Serve on a bed of rice, with green salad and a glass of white wine. To serve more people, simply multiply the ingredients accordingly.

  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Fry
  • Cuisine: South African

Keywords: how to cook prawns, garlic butter prawns, pan fried prawns recipe, how to prepare prawns, how to cook prawns in shell

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ann Hawley says

    Hi Michelle
    I googled South Africans in Southend and your very interesting website came up! I’ll definitely try the Chinese shop in York Road!
    The reason for my search is to find other South Africans / Namibians / Zims to arrange a get-together for the better weather in the new year.
    Are you interested in meeting other South Africans?
    Kind regards
    Ann

    Reply

  3. Shelagh says

    Im definately going to track this shop down. Im dying for some decent prawns. I want to laugh when I see the word ‘prawns’ on a menu because what you get are shrimps.

    I am most definately interested in meeting other South Africans. I live in Rochford. How do we go about it?

    Reply

  4. Shelagh says

    Im definately going to track this shop down. Im dying for some decent prawns. I want to laugh when I see the word ‘prawns’ on a menu because what you get are shrimps.

    I am most definately interested in meeting other South Africans. I live in Rochford. How do we go about it?

    Reply

    • fred says

      YES that is so TRUE….for over 15 years I’ve said the same. don’t shops and resturants know between prawns and shrimps????
      Go to south India, they are the best

      Reply

  5. Michelle says

    Whoa, more South Africans!

    I need a prawn-fix again, so I’ll have to visit the Chinese shop soon. You’re right about the menus with their “prawns”. When Americans say “shrimps”, they actually mean prawns though. Quite confusing.

    Reply

  8. James says

    Ag Ja, how did you end up there anyway?? Anyway for you Saffa prawn addicts in London try Sheperds Bush market. They are not farmed and huge!! Just add garlic, chili, corriander and little ginger and butter and then swicth on the rugby!

    Reply

  9. James says

    Ag Ja, how did you end up there anyway?? Anyway for you Saffa prawn addicts in London try Sheperds Bush market. They are not farmed and huge!! Just add garlic, chili, corriander and little ginger and butter and then swicth on the rugby!

    Reply

  10. Charles says

    Hi y’all. I am a Rhodie/South African who misses home and our wonderful food big time. I now live in Houston but can not get garlic butter prawns as you can guess. I am glad to find your recipe and will cetainly try it. Found another one a while back but it was not very good, but yours looks just like we used to get in Salisbury and of course Pretoria, CT and Joburg.
    Sleep warm y’all.

    Reply

  11. Chris says

    This is amazing – I look up a garlic prawn recipe and the first one that comes up is from a local!
    I know what you mean about Southend – it’s not the best, but I’ll check out that shop in York Road and who knows what other goodies I’ll find.

    If you want a more charming place to buy prawns, make a trip over to Leigh-on-Sea(Old Town)- there’s a Fisherman’s Co-op on Bell Wharf where they sell all sorts of seafood, all freshly caught and not too expensive. There’s also a chip shop nearby to make the trip complete.
    I’m an Aussie and need a prawn-fix fairly often too.
    Cheers,
    Chris

    Reply

  12. Drew says

    I’m also a saffa who really enjoys sea food and a braai is not complete without decent tiger prawns for me .

    For those saffa’s who are london based like me I can highlly recommend the fishmongers in borough market as they have a very good selection of prawns and other sea food at decent prices with practiclly any size of prawn Your looking for right up to indonesian tiger giants . I’ve also found that though pricey the quality of the meat at the ginger pig butchery which is also at that market is exceptionally good and is one of the few places You can get Tbone from 😀

    Reply

  13. kate says

    Howzit!!!! I lived in the UK for about 3 years before coming back to sunny South Africa. We went to Mediterranean Fish market yesterday and bought a big box of prawns – the big juicy south african kind! It’s weird to be home this christmas, swimming and braaing and about to put a few prawns onto the skottle!!

    Reply

  14. Duncan gohl says

    Sadly you haven’t been to Knysna lately…….
    Run down and a pot smokers haven.
    Most of the houses on the Eastern Heads are for sale.
    Very sad as it was our hometown.

    Reply

  19. Marion Smith says

    I love a good old prawn cocktail or I like to make Prawn stir fry, these recipes look fab and I would love to be able to try them:), thanks for giving away such a good prize!

    Reply

  22. [email protected] says

    Wow, it looks like you are getting a lot of love from fellow South Africans! These prawns look wonderful, and I’m sure they were just as nice as when you were making them 9 years ago. Happy 9th Blogiversary! I recently celebrated 5 years. No post, but a glass of fizz instead. Long may you keep posting such gorgeous recipes. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  29. Kristy Brown says

    I love them pan seared with garlic and a soon of tomato puree then tossed in wholewheat spaghetti and shredded spinach

    Reply

  34. Jaelin Farrow says

    I love prawns in a chilli and tomato sauce with pasta, or in a curry! But, when I went on holiday to South Africa I had prawns with garlic butter and rice…so good!

    Reply

  40. Camilla Hawkins says

    Many congratulations on your blog birthday Michelle, here’s to the next 9 yrs and beyond! These prawns are so up my street and I have to admit I have never cooked whole ones but do enjoy eating them when I’m out:-)

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  41. Camilla Hawkins says

    Many congratulations on your blog birthday Michelle, here’s to the next 9 yrs and beyond! These prawns are so up my street and I have to admit I have never cooked whole ones but do enjoy eating them when I’m out:-)

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  45. Jo Carroll says

    I really enjoy a lovely Prawn Salad…you just can’t beat it. Prawns, avocado, tomatoes, spring onions and lettuce drizzled with the olive oil and lemon juice. x

    Reply

  46. kellyjo walters says

    I just love them pan fried in garlic than I let cook a bit and dip generously in thousand island sauce

    ★★★★

    Reply

  47. Hester McQueen says

    I’ve enjoyed reading all the comments. Garlic, butter, and loads of crusty bread; prawn cocktail, risotto, and the other half makes an amazing curry with them.

    Reply

  48. Alex Halliday says

    Such a tasty recipe and so simple too! Looking forward to trying out the others in the book.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  54. Meeta says

    Ok you celebrate 9 and I am celebrating 10 … so happy blog birthday to us. I like your style with these gorgeous looking prawns! Michelle keep up the great work and here’s to many more great images and blog birthdays!

    Reply

  63. Andrew says

    still looking and sounding so tempting after all these years (well two years in the case of this post, but you know what I mean…)

    ★★★★

    Reply

  97. Jeanne Horak-Druiff says

    Mmmm, garlicky prawns! We were in Plett 2 weeks ago where the Lookout Deck serves them packed tightly into a pint glass as their “pint o’prawns” – fab. Love the look of yours (although I am not a brain-sucker!!) 😉 Happy blogaversary!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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