Sea-Ex Seafood
Trade Directory
Directory of Seafood
Companies by Species
Imported, Exported, Wholesale, Processors &
Producers
Click Here for
SEAFOOD DIRECTORY
Cooking Red Spot
King Prawns | Recipes for Prawns & Shrimp
CookingRed Spot
King Prawns:
The Red Spot King Prawn is a reef prawn and is
available year round with peaks from February to June. The
NT fishery is closed from December to March and again in
July. Look for brightly coloured, firm, intact, lustrous
shells, without any discolouration, particularly at joints,
and a pleasant fresh sea smell. Prawns are highly perishable
in their raw state and so are often frozen or boiled at sea
as soon as they are caught. If cooking with Prawns, buy
green (raw) Prawns, as cooked Prawns will toughen if
reheated.
The
Red Spot King Prawn is a reef prawn – it likes to stay within 30
kilometres of coral reefs. Caught mainly in central Queensland from
around the Gladstone to Bowen region, the Red Spot King prawn is a
popular choice in Queensland seafood restaurants because it really
quite attractive with a cute red spot on the tail section. Expect to
pay a little less for Red Spot King Prawns than for Eastern King
Prawns.
Season
Available year round with peaks from February to June. The
NT fishery is closed from December to March and again in
July.
Size and Weight
Commonly 40-50g and 10-21cm body length, with Eastern the
largest and Redspot the smallest. Eastern can grow to 30cm.
Price
High priced, with larger prawns fetching the highest prices
and Western and Redspot generally cheaper than Eastern.
To Buy
Look for brightly coloured, firm, intact, lustrous shells,
without any discolouration, particularly at joints, and a
pleasant fresh sea smell. Prawns are highly perishable in
their raw state and so are often frozen or boiled at sea as
soon as they are caught. If cooking with Prawns, buy green
(raw) Prawns, as cooked Prawns will toughen if reheated.
To Store
Leave Prawns in their shells until just before using and
store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for
up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months below -18ºC. Once
thawed, frozen Prawns should not be refrozen.
To Cook
Average yield is 45%. Has a rich flavour, low-medium
oiliness moist flesh with a medium-firm texture. Flesh is
translucent when raw and white with pinkish bands when
cooked. After removing the head from a fresh green Prawn,
hold the Prawn straight and gently pull the end of the
digestive tract (from the head end), it will usually come
out in one go. If it breaks off, use a thin skewer to hook
it out from the back. In cooked Prawns, cut the back open to
remove the digestive tract.
Cooking Methods
Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, stir-fry, grill, barbecue.
The firm flesh holds together well in soups and curries and
threaded on skewers for kebabs. Like all seafood, Prawns
require very little cooking. It is always better to
undercook, rather than overcook, them, as they will continue
to cook in the residual heat. King Prawns have a particular
tendency to become tough if not handled correctly.
Nutritional Information
For every 100 grams raw product
for Prawn meat.
Kilojoules
399 (95
calories)
Cholesterol
121 mg
Sodium
185 g
Total fat
(oil)
0.8 g
Saturated
fat
36% of total
fat
Monounsaturated fat
23% of total
fat
Polyunsaturated fat
41% of total
fat
Omega-3, EPA
39 mg
Omega-3, DHA
49 mg
Omega-6, AA
45 mg
HOW MUCH SEAFOOD TO BUY:
Prawns:
Small 40-60 prawns per kilo
Medium 20 - 40 prawns per kilo
Large 10 - 20 prawns per kilo
- Allow approx. 300 - 400 grams per person.
How to Purchase the Freshest Prawns or Shrimp -
Fresh cooked shrimp are actually cooked on board the
vessel of capture the moment they are caught and then refrigerated for maximum
freshness before being delivered to the markets which will be normally or
hopefully within 24hrs of capture.
How to peel a Green or Raw Prawn
Sydney Fish Market provides step by step instructions on how
to peel a 'green' or raw prawn perfectly!
About
Red Spot King Prawns:
Sizes of Prawns:
Prawns are graded according to the number of prawns per pound (445 grams) or per
Kilo (1000gms)
U/10 = under 10 prawns per pound (extra large) (between 16 to 20 prawns to the
Kilo)
10/20 = 10 to 20 prawns per pound (medium) (between 22 to 42 prawns to the kilo)
20/30 = 20 to30 prawns per pound (small to medium) (between 44 to 67 prawns to
the kilo)
300/500 = 300 to 500 prawns per pound (extra small - shrimps) (between 675 to
1124 prawns to the kilo)
S & B = Soft and broken prawns - these are export 2nds due to slight damage or
soft shell due to prawn malting just prior to capture.
Tips:- when comparing prices always compare by asking the count per pound - the
lower the count the larger the size. The larger the size the higher the price
The
Red Spot King Prawn is a reef prawn – it likes to stay within 30
kilometres of coral reefs. Caught mainly in central Queensland from
around the Gladstone to Bowen region, the Red Spot King prawn is a
popular choice in Queensland seafood restaurants because it really
quite attractive with a cute red spot on the tail section. Expect to
pay a little less for Red Spot King Prawns than for Eastern King
Prawns.
