Fresh or frozen, prawns offer a full flavour profile and versatile ingredient options that can be used in many recipes.
When you buy frozen prawns, texture should always be your top priority. Soft or rubbery textures indicate poor-quality prawns; avoid those which smell of ammonia to ensure you purchase high-quality seafood.
Freshness
While foodies may look down upon purchasing seafood in a grocery store, this method is more convenient than visiting a fish market. Furthermore, quality is usually high – for instance, frozen prawns can often be frozen shortly after being harvested to retain flavour and texture – an advantage especially beneficial when working with various ingredients or techniques such as baking or roasting.
Frozen prawns differ from fresh in that they do not contain chemicals or antibiotics that could compromise their safety, unlike their fresh counterparts, which often use sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium bisulphite additives to extend shelf life and avoid spoilage in transit; however, these additives can lead to stomach upset and other health complications for humans.
If you want to create a delicious and healthful meal without breaking the bank on fresh seafood, why not create your sambal petai prawns using frozen prawns? This traditional Malaysian dish adds lots of flavour and zest to any meal, plus its easy preparation requires only lemon juice, garlic cloves, shallots or parsley and some olive oil!
The Bow Tie Duck utilises Black Tiger Prawns from Vietnam, raised on family-run farms in mangrove forests. Certified by Aquaculture Stewardship Council to promote sustainability, these delicious shrimp make an excellent choice for grilling, steaming, sauteing or serving shell-on or shell-off and can last up to one year in your freezer!
Safety
Prawns are highly perishable and should be refrigerated immediately upon purchase, or they may quickly degrade in quality and taste. Therefore, to buy frozen prawns from reliable vendors is often preferable – both fresh prawns can still be cooked using various techniques such as boiling in soup or stir-frying or smoking on a grill.
Flash-frozen prawns have become an effective seafood storage method; most are flash-frozen while still at sea to ensure no damage occurs before being frozen and consumed. This process ensures the safety and health of prawns as they’re frozen immediately without delay or inconvenience.
When purchasing frozen prawns, look for ones with firm bodies and smooth shells fresh-smelling fresh aroma; no blackheads present as this indicates the possibility that these are past their prime and could have started decaying internally.
When purchasing fresh seafood for immediate consumption, it’s wise to purchase them from a supermarket as close to dish day as possible. It will help maintain freshness and ensure even cooking. Alternatively, raw and cooked prawns can be frozen for up to three months, but remember to thaw them before eating them!
Cost
Frozen prawns can often be more cost-effective than fresh. Plus, their longer shelf life means you can buy them in bulk and use them throughout the year – not to mention they taste just as great! Remember to check their expiry date beforehand, as an unpleasant odour or green/blue spots on their shells indicate if they’ve gone bad and should be avoided.
Storage
Frozen prawns are convenient and versatile freezer ingredients, suitable for many different dishes and available year-round at low-fat levels, making them an excellent healthy choice. In just a few minutes of defrosting and cooking, you can create an irresistibly tasty seafood entree or snack dish!
As much as some may mistakenly believe frozen prawns for being inferior, this is simply untrue; their taste and texture differences are typically negligible, with frozen options often being cheaper.
Chefs who appreciate culinary can enjoy making delicious recipes using frozen prawns, such as sweet and sour prawns, fried rice with prawns, sambal petai (stinky beans) or even grilled king prawns. Once defrosted, frozen prawns can easily be reheated either in the microwave or pan after being thawed out.
Frozen prawns offer excellent quality since they are processed immediately following harvesting. In contrast to fresh seafood that must be stored refrigerated to prevent spoilage, frozen ones can be frozen quickly after harvesting and sent directly to the market without having to be chilled in an insulated box beforehand. It ensures they reach consumers intact.
