Cooking frozen prawns directly from is an efficient, time-saving solution to creating delicious seafood meals. This method is especially convenient for busy individuals as you can use frozen prawns at any time and enjoy tasty seafood dishes whenever it suits you best!
Be sure to change the water frequently to reduce bacteria growth and ensure maximum efficiency when defrosting your frozen pipes. Colder temperatures tend to work best, while warm water may help speed up defrosting but is potentially hazardous.
1. Boiling
For easy-to-cook frozen prawns to boil properly, start by rinsing off any ice crystals and completely defrosting them before submerging them in cold water for 3-6 minutes (depending on their size) or placing in a bowl of cold water in the fridge overnight.
Cook prawns too long, and they will become tough and chewy; to ensure optimal results, only cook them until their flesh changes from translucent to opaque and pink.
When it’s time to prepare your prawns, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil with salt added. When simmering begins, place in your prawns and cook them for two or three minutes before draining and serving. You can use this method either for making simple cocktails, adding wine flavour to risotto or gumbo dishes, or even garnishing with lemon juice for fresh and flavourful garnishments; remember not to overcook!
2. Grilling
Prawns are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats and an outstanding source of B12, zinc and selenium – making a delicious way to supplement your nutrition! By including them in your diet plan, you can ensure an increased consumption of these vital minerals.
As with most things, frozen prawns can be easily grilled when drizzled with olive oil and spices. Just be sure they are completely defrosted first to prevent sticking. Additionally, chopped herbs or lemon juice may add additional flavour.
3. Sauteing
To sauté frozen and already-cooked prawns quickly, start by rinsing them under cold water before draining them. Next, add salt to help defrost them faster (providing you change out your water regularly to ensure it doesn’t become too hot).
Frozen prawns should be deveined and stripped of their shells prior to cooking; however, you may leave some on if desired. In a skillet over high heat, add butter, garlic, and oil for two or three minutes (less for shrimp) of stir-frying before seasoning with salt and pepper and serving.
4. Poaching
Frozen prawns make the ideal starter dish – Prawn Cocktail. This classic starter can be prepared by mixing finely grated fresh ginger, sesame oil and soy sauce, then serving them alongside peeled, cooked prawns. It makes an easy, delicious starter that can easily be customised to personal preferences; adding Worcestershire or Tabasco sauce gives the cocktail extra depth of flavour.
When it comes to using easy-to-cook frozen prawns in recipes, they must be defrosted before cooking to ensure even and gradual heating throughout. Defrosting should take place in a bowl filled with cold water; make sure it changes frequently for optimal results and reduced risk of bacteria breeding.
As it can lead to harmful toxins like dioxin accumulation in food, microwave defrosting fish, shellfish and crustaceans is best avoided as a way of defrosting them safely. Instead, place the seafood in the fridge overnight for safe defrosting or place it in cold water in a bowl for 20 minutes to defrost it faster.
5. Baking
Defrosting frozen prawns before baking them is key to success, which you can do by running them under cold water for several minutes in a colander. Make sure that all of the shrimp have defrosted evenly – this will allow for easier handling once cooking starts! Once defrosted, feel free to cook however you like since all moisture has been eliminated from them.
If you’re in a pinch, the microwave can be an efficient way to defrost a bag of frozen prawns quickly and thoroughly. But keep in mind that using it may start cooking the prawns, leading to overcooked edges and raw centres – not ideal when dealing with seafood such as shrimp.
Another effective method for defrosting easy-to-cook frozen prawns is placing them into a bowl of cold water and covering them with a lid, similar to how other methods work. This process also adds salt to the water to make your prawns taste fresher and more juicy; just be mindful only to add enough to avoid making them too salty!