First posted in Jul 2010, updated in Feb 2017.
Steamed Prawns with Garlic is a very simple homely dish. Chinese restaurants always charge a premium for seafood dishes. The home-made version costs a small fraction of what the restaurants are charging.
Besides being cheaper, this is one dish you can cook at home easily and quickly, since prawns cook really fast (less than 5 minutes).
If you love garlic as much as I do, you will understand the amount of garlic I used in this dish. But if you find that the garlic is too much or spicy for your liking, you can reduce the amount according to taste. For best results, use fresh garlic and chop them yourself, instead of using instant bottled garlic. Also try to use bigger prawns for this dish because it will be easier to butterfly them and to stuff the garlic mixture into the cavity. See the step-by-step pictures below.
Step-by-Step Photos
Clean and butterfly the prawns by making a top slit across the back to the tail end of the prawn, removing the veins, and cutting a little deeper to make a cavity. Click here for detailed step-by-step pics.
Drizzle Chinese wine over the prawns cavity.
In this dish, the garlic is the star. So for best results, use freshly chopped garlic (I used an electric chopper as a short-cut).
Prepare the garlic mixture in a small bowl.
Fill the prawns cavity with the garlic mixture.
These are what the garlic-stuffed prawns look like, before steaming.
Steam over high heat until the prawns are cooked (just a few minutes; do not overcook). Garnish with coriander and serve.
For best results, use fresh garlic and chop them yourself, instead of using instant bottled garlic. Use bigger prawns for this recipe because it is easier to butterfly them and to stuff the garlic mixture into the cavity.
Prawns cook very quickly (few minutes), do not over-cook them or they will become hard and chewy.