Frozen Giant Tiger Prawns

Big, head-on prawns with banded shells and a solid, springy body. Graded at 20 to 30 pieces to the kilogram, they are large enough to carry a grill or a hot wok without shrinking to nothing.

The Catch

Farmed in brackish coastal ponds and harvested to order, then chilled and frozen the same day. The shell is left on deliberately: it keeps the flesh from drying and carries most of the flavour.

Specification

• Net weight — 2 kg per pack
• Grade — 20 to 30 pieces per kilogram, roughly 40 to 60 prawns per pack
• Form — whole, head and shell on, deveined
• Glaze — light, under 10 percent, so the stated weight is mostly prawn

State

Raw and frozen, individually frozen so the pieces stay loose in the bag rather than clumping into a block. Take what you need and return the rest to the freezer.

Storage and Thawing

Hold at -18 degrees Celsius or colder for up to twelve months. Thaw in the refrigerator for six to eight hours; never in warm water, which turns the flesh mealy. Once thawed, cook the same day.

On the Plate

• Split along the back, brush with garlic butter and grill shell side down.
• Boil in salted water for two minutes, then chill and serve with a sharp dip.
• Stir-fry with ginger, spring onion and a splash of Shaoxing wine.
• Deep-fry in a light batter for a crisp shell you can eat through.

They are done the moment the shell turns fully orange-red and the flesh opaque. A minute past that and the texture tightens.

Shipping and Cold Chain

Dispatched hard frozen on a next-day service. Check that the heads are still firmly attached on arrival; a loose head means the pack has thawed and refrozen at some point.

Allergen: contains crustacean shellfish. Packed in a facility that also handles fish and molluscs.