Steamed Prawns with Garlic

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.

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Besides being cheaper, this is one dish you can cook at home easily and quickly, since prawns cook really fast (less than 5 minutes).

Steamed Prawns with Garlic Recipe

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

Butterflied Prawn
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.

Steamed Prawns with Garlic Recipe
Drizzle Chinese wine over the prawns cavity.

Freshly chopped garlic

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).

Steamed Prawns with Garlic Recipe
Prepare the garlic mixture in a small bowl.

Steamed Prawns with Garlic Recipe
Fill the prawns cavity with the garlic mixture.

Steamed Prawns with Garlic Recipe
These are what the garlic-stuffed prawns look like, before steaming.

Steamed Prawns with Garlic Recipe
Steam over high heat until the prawns are cooked (just a few minutes; do not overcook). Garnish with coriander and serve.

 

Steamed Prawns with Garlic Recipe

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.

Check out the step-by-step pictures in the previous page.

Ingredients:

  • 6 to 8 large prawns (shrimps) at least 10 grams each
  • 5 slices ginger
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • coriander garnish; optional

(A) Garlic Mixture (mix well in a small bowl)

Directions:

  1. Trim the sharp edges off the prawns. 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.
  2. Arrange butterflied prawns on top some ginger slices in a deep steaming plate. Drizzle Shaoxing wine over the prawns cavity.
  3. In a small bowl, combine (A) to make the garlic mixture and fill the prawns cavity with it.
  4. Steam over high heat until the prawns are cooked (just a few minutes; do not overcook). Garnish with coriander and serve.