a dozen large whole fresh prawns (live if you can get them that fresh)
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine (Hua Diao Ju)
2 rice bowls chicken broth/stock in a sauce pan.

Rinse the prawns under running water, dry & place in a bowl with the rice
wine. Leave to marinate for 10mins. If using live prawns, wait until the
prawns stop moving.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil & add the prawns in until they turn pink
in colour. Serve whole. Use your fingers to peel the prawns & enjoy.

DC.

"DC."  wrote in message
news:gI2dnWUVgYuXAO_fRVnyjQ@pipex.net...

> a dozen large whole fresh prawns (live if you can get them that fresh)
> 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine (Hua Diao Ju)
> 2 rice bowls chicken broth/stock in a sauce pan.
>
> Rinse the prawns under running water, dry & place in a bowl with the rice
> wine. Leave to marinate for 10mins. If using live prawns, wait until the
> prawns stop moving.
>
> Bring the chicken broth to a boil & add the prawns in until they turn pink
> in colour. Serve whole. Use your fingers to peel the prawns & enjoy.
>
> DC.
>



DC

Most recipe books advise slitting prawns along the back and removing the
digestive tract.  My wife gets a bit 'umpty' if I don't, but when she is not
looking I leave it.  Nobody seems to notice when the prawns are cooked. Do
you ever bother to 'gut' prawns.

Wife does not read NGs.  I hope :-)

Dave.

"Dave Dew"  wrote in message
news:UlFce.18171$TT6.4313@newsfe3-win.ntli.net...
<snip>

> Most recipe books advise slitting prawns along the back and removing the
> digestive tract.  My wife gets a bit 'umpty' if I don't, but when she is
not
> looking I leave it.  Nobody seems to notice when the prawns are cooked. Do
> you ever bother to 'gut' prawns.
>
> Wife does not read NGs.  I hope :-)
>
> Dave.


It all depends on what kind of prawns & where they come from or where i'm
eating them
(on holiday for example). Most of the times i do (for tiger prawns/large
prawns) as you never know where
these prawns come from. I've seen prawn farms in various countries in my
travels & some are indeed rather vile, often muddy ponds along coastal areas
with open sewers or dirty drains nearby etc.. Most of the large
prawns you get in Chinese rests. here are imported frozen tiger prawns (go
have a look at any large Chinese cash & carry). These are
always farmed so it's better to be cautious.  I'm not sure if freezing/deep
freezing for export does for anything to the intestinal tracts & if it will
lead to upset stomachs or not but when in doubt, always play safe. Anyway..
if you're cooking large prawns & have sliced along the back to remove the
intestinal tract, slice a little deeper as it always makes a nice
'butterfly' or curls into a nice tight ball once cooked.

For the drunken prawns recipe, you can always peel the cooked prawns then
remove the tract after. I know
it's not very pleasant but it's better safe then not. Once you come down
with a bad or upset stomach from eating seafood, it might put you off for
good. I know quite a few people who have suffered & i'm determined to
continue eating seafood.. but carefully.

Locally/in the UK, there's lots of prawns & shrimps caught & cooked/boiled
on the boats & sold in fishmongers to seafood stalls like the ones in the
Eastend. I've never been ill eating whole shrimps from them. In fact i've
just had 1/2 a pint of shrimps yesterday while smoking some fish, octopus &
squids at a fellow newsgroup buddy's house, they make great beer snacks.
(pics can be found in alt.binaries.food - posted by Graeme). I guess you
just need to know how fresh the seafood is & where it comes from, then you
take your chances, we even had gilthead bream sashimi yesterday & i'm still
very much alive today ; )

DC.