Cooking prawns Chinese style

[Kenny202]

HI. Been trying to get my prawns to cook the same as they do them in the Chinese restaurants back home (Australia).

They're always so firm and cooked to perfection. Always slightly opaque which would suggest minimal cooking. I have tried everything.....slow cooking, fast cooking, cooking very short time, longer time but while they are ok always a bit mushy. The Thai restaurants always seem to cook the life out of them.  I use good fresh prawns. Thai farm prawns of course but still fresh from the water and firm. I even tried flash steaming them first but not the same.

 

Anyone have any idea? There must be some technique they use as I have only ever had prawns like this from a Chinese restaurant....like how they velvet chicken and pork in egg white.

[Sam Lin]

Mushy points to a long-dead prawn, not fresh. No magic cooking will fix that.

 

For crisp, firm, opaque: fresh prawn, high heat/preheated pan (this is key, the chinese restaurants use a wok with large gas flame, this gives a massive amount of heat transfer), a little oil. Dry the prawns with a paper towel. Very quick stir fry, when they curl up and no part of exterior is translucent any more, take them out. Resting heat will finish the cook, do not try to cook them through. On a puny home stove, use a heavier pan with longer preheat for more heat capacity, and don't try to cook too many prawns at once or they'll pull all the heat out of the pan.

 

Unclear what dish you're trying to make, but you might also be overcooking or steaming them if you are trying to cook the dish with prawns all together. Cook the prawns separately, add them to the dish right before serving.

[Kenny202]

Mushy points to a long-dead prawn, not fresh. No magic cooking will fix that.
 
For crisp, firm, opaque: fresh prawn, high heat/preheated pan (this is key, the chinese restaurants use a wok with large gas flame, this gives a massive amount of heat transfer), a little oil. Dry the prawns with a paper towel. Very quick stir fry, when they curl up and no part of exterior is translucent any more, take them out. Resting heat will finish the cook, do not try to cook them through. On a puny home stove, use a heavier pan with longer preheat for more heat capacity, and don't try to cook too many prawns at once or they'll pull all the heat out of the pan.
 
Unclear what dish you're trying to make, but you might also be overcooking or steaming them if you are trying to cook the dish with prawns all together. Cook the prawns separately, add them to the dish right before serving.

The prawns are definitely fresh. Straight out of the water or not long anyway. Sometimes I buy them live. What you are saying makes sense though. I do have a high heat burner. Ill try your technique. By the way cooking prawn omelet. Bit hard to add the prawns after. Had about 3 restaurants back in oz ordered prawn omelet. Always juicy big firm prawns. Nearly crisp wen u bite into them. Nothing like them

How would u do an omelet? Prawns in with the mixture or cook prawns a bit first?

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[kevvy]

I make a prawn omelette 

I boil some water in a pot with some cut celery and carrots  , then turn the heat off and put in the prawns, with shell on as this makes them taste better and leave them for 4 minutes. When you take them out put them in iced water as this will stop the cooking , peel them, then add to the omelette when it is nearly cooked. You can do this for prawn soup too. It you fry your prawns  just cook them for 1.1/2 minutes per side .

I have a vacuum pump machine and do a lot of sous vide cooking .You dont need the fancy gauges just a thermometer is good enough in a pot of water ,Just make sure you cook at a lower temp.