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- By Michelle Minnaar
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This pan-fried garlic butter prawns recipe is simple yet totally impressive for a dinner party or a treat-yourself night in. Whole shell-on prawns cooked in butter and garlic with a few squeezes of lemon juice to brighten the dish, does it get any better?
Buying your raw prawns with the shell on may seem intimidating, but a few simple steps will ensure you can easily devein and cook the prawns. Cooking prawns with the shells on not only means added flavor but also helps to protect the shrimp from overcooking quickly while they are sauteed.
This recipe is inspired by my ginger prawns with soy sauce, also available on my blog. These simple butter garlic prawns are so good they may get eaten before they even make it to the table. This recipe pairs great with some crusty bread or this pear and rocket salad with a side of rice and a few lemon wedges. If you want something sweeter check out this Honey Garlic Shrimp recipe!
When it comes to prawn dishes, this one takes the cake for simplicity and mouth-watering flavour of all the latest recipes I've worked on. Enjoy these garlic butter prawns anytime, but I picture them as a great summer dish or an easy meal for entertaining.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Lots of flavour and simple ingredients
- Quick and easy cook time
- Only takes one pan
Equipment Needed for This Recipe
- Sharp knife - use a knife to devein your prawn's intestinal tract before cooking them. Run your knife along the back side of the prawn, ensuring that the intestinal tract is exposed, then simply remove the vein with the tip of your knife.
- Cutting board - a good plastic cutting board is key for preparing prawns. Plastic is the easiest material to keep sanitary after handling raw prawns.
- Large frying pan - a large pan will give you plenty of room to cook prawns without crowding them. When you cook prawns, it is important to give them plenty of space so that they fry evenly.
- Tongs - rubber-tipped tongs are the best tool for flipping your garlic prawns. These tongs will protect the pan and are heat safe.
- Citrus juicer - this tool is optional, but I find it easiest to squeeze lemon juice with a juicer to eliminate any rogue seeds from getting into your juicy prawns
Ingredients You Need for This Recipe
- Fresh prawns - use fresh prawns instead of frozen prawns for the best results in this garlicky dish. You can buy shelled prawns, but I recommend buying some with the shells on for added flavour and protection during the cooking process. Tiger prawns are large and very delicious, and king prawns are even bigger, making either of them the best choice for this dish. You may find that tiger prawns are easier to come upon, so they are probably your best bet when making this garlic prawns dish. You will recognize a tiger prawn by its blue or black stripes that turn a lovely pink after cooking.
How to Make This Recipe
Melt the butter and oil in a large frying pan.
Add the garlic and let it sizzle for a minute.
Add the prawns to the pan in a single layer.
When the edge of the prawns start to turn pink, turn them on their other side using tongs.
Squirt lemon juice on top and cook for 1 minute. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Top Tip
Devein and butterfly the prawns ahead of time to make this quick and easy dish even faster to get on the table.
What to Serve/Pair With Your Garlic Butter Prawns
These irresistible garlic butter prawns are simply perfect as a main dish with lots of versatility. Here are some different ideas to pair with your
Sides
- Cucumber salad with avocado and cashews - the ingredients in this salad are easy to find and come together to create a light and refreshing side or main. Paired with these garlic butter prawns and you have a perfect meal for hot weather days
- Mousseline potatoes - the garlicky flavour of this creamy mashed potato side is a great compliment to this prawn dish.
- Caramelized brussels sprouts - the tart and sweet flavors of this veggie side dish cut through some of the richness of the buttery prawns.
Desserts
Nothing completes an incredible meal like a sweet dessert at the end of a long day. Try these dessert recipes for an added treat!
- Dessert tortilla wraps - these simple dessert tortillas have a little boozy twist with some Amarula coffee cream cheese added. A nice little spiked present for the adults.
- Carrot cake cupcakes - take the classic large format carrot cake and make it into single-serving cupcakes that are moist and delicious. Add cream cheese frosting, and these cupcakes are completely amazing for dessert!
- Strawberry flan - this cake-based dessert with a custardy filling is fruity and rich. Top with some whipped cream for more decadence.
- Apricot tart - who doesn't love a late summer tart? Fresh apricots and a crunchy crust make a perfect combination to enjoy after any meal.
co*cktails
- Gin and gingerbeer co*cktail - this summertime co*cktail is spicy and floral from the gin
- White wine - white wine goes great with prawns, especially when there's garlic involved.
- Long vodka - another simply summertime drink that is refreshing and easy to sip on
Popular Substitutions for This Recipe
- Oil - cook prawns in olive oil instead of vegetable oil for a different flavor. Be sure to use regular olive oil and not extra virgin olive oil since it has a higher smoke point and will give you the best results
Variations to This Recipe
Sauce
Add some heat to your cooked prawns by incorporating some chilli sauce into the pan while the shrimp are cooking.
Cooking Method
Instead of pan frying the prawns, you can cook them over a hot grill instead. Toss the prawns in oil and place the prawns with their shells onto the grill until they turn pink on one side. Turn them over and cook the other side. You will know the prawn is cooked when it is completely pink.
You can make a garlic butter pan sauce separately in a pan by following the recipe and pouring it over the prawns or put it in a bowl as a dipping sauce.
Top Tip
A good way to make sure the shrimp are not overcooked is to look at the tail and body. If they create a C, the shrimp is not overcooked, once it makes an O shape, the shrimp has cooked for too long.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Store leftover garlic butter prawns in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How Long Will This Food Last in The Fridge?
It is a good idea to finish off leftover seafood within two or three days of storing it in the refrigerator. Seafood is always best the freshest it can be.
How Do I Reheat This Dish?
Reheat your prawns by placing them in a microwave-safe bowl with a little water and butter to allow them to quickly heat with steam. You can also do this on the stovetop so that you can keep a close eye on the prawns.
Other Prawn Recipes You'll Love
- Prawn co*cktail - this prawn co*cktail recipe is a classic holiday staple. Usually served dangling over the side of a martini glass juicy prawns, this prawn co*cktail recipe accompanies them with crisp iceberg lettuce and a tangy sauce.
- King prawn butterfly - crispy fried king prawns are flavourful and full of meat, and they can be modified for your spice preferences
- Chilli prawn pasta - an Italian dish with a little spice from dried chilli flakes and some bursts of flavor from cherry tomatoes
- Prawn puri - these simple meal starters are excellent for the Indian food lover! Spicy curry and tender shrimp on top of crispy puri hits the spot
📖 Recipe
Pan-fried Garlic Butter Prawns Recipe
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
4.7 from 15 reviews
- Author: Michelle Minnaar
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Pan-Fried Garlic Butter Prawns are easy to make but look and taste impressive, perfect for a dinner party.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 20 whole shell-on prawns, weighing about 600g (2 lb)
- 30ml (2 tbsp) butter
- 5ml (1 tsp) vegetable oil
- rock salt
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ lemon, juice only
Instructions
- Devein the prawns. With a sharp knife, score down the back of the shrimp. Remove the thin, digestive tract with the tip of the knife. Repeat with the rest of the prawns.
- Rinse the prawns under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients which won’t take long.
- Melt the butter, add the oil and generously grind salt in a large frying pan.
- Cooking the prawns. When the butter mixture starts bubbling, add the garlic and prawns in a single layer. Fry over a high heat for about 3 minutes, or until the sides of the prawns turn pink.
- Using tongs, turn the prawns on their other sides and arrange in a single layer again.
- Sprinkle lemon juice all over the prawns and cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. The prawns should be completely pink all over, no gray bits.
- Serve immediately on a bed of rice, with green salad and a glass of white wine. Enjoy!
Notes
- To serve more people, simply multiply the ingredients accordingly.
- If you like sauce as much as I do, I suggest you do the following. Once you’ve removed all the prawns from the pan, ensure you scrape off all the garlic too, otherwise it will burn. Sticking to the ratios in the recipe, add more butter, oil and garlic to the pan and let it sizzle. Once the garlic has softened, pour in the lemon juice and give it a stir. At this point you can decide whether to pour the lemon butter garlic sauce in a pot for dipping purposes, or drown the prawns in sauce instead. Use crusty bread to mop up all the sauce!
- You can use peeled prawns in this recipe but the shell-on version tastes so much better!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan fry
- Cuisine: South African
More Main Course
- Smoked Chicken Wings
- Bangers and Mash
- Persian Eggplant Stew
- Roasted Lamb Ribs
Reader Interactions
Comments
Heike
Prawns are the food of the Gods!
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FridthjofKalberg
I love prawns.
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Jeanne Horak-Druiff
Mmmm, garlicky prawns! We were in Plett 2 weeks ago where the Lookout Deck serves them packed tightly into a pint glass as their "pint o'prawns" - fab. Love the look of yours (although I am not a brain-sucker!!) 😉 Happy blogaversary!
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Rosana @ Hot&CHilli Food and Travel Blog
My best friend is based in Chelmsford too - lovely pictures.
RReply
Lisa Mauchline
King prawns in a curry is my favourite
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Lisa Mauchline
King prawns in a curry is my favourite
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Jason Tolliss
In a Thai green curry
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Emma Rawlinson
I like them in a paella
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Catherine Gregory
In a stir fry
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Caroline Blaza
I love prawns in stir frys x
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cheryl hadfield
Prawn co*cktail
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Ruth
I love them with garlic and butter and homemade Rosemary bread
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Alison
I wish I could give this recipe more than 5 stars!! This was my first try cooking prawns and all I can say is WOW! I doubled the recipe for 27 prawns and decided to keep the heads on while cooking... The prawns came out perfectly!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
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Dawn Hull
Usually in a yummy, spicy curry.
Dale Dow
I love prawn co*cktail on a bed of lettuce or in Special Fried Rice
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Julie Camm
We make spicy breadcrumbed prawns..... lovely with potato wedges and a mayonnaise...
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Emma
Breaded and quite spicy.
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Joanna Sawka
love them in paella
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Lisa Wilkinson
In a Laksa 🙂
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Lisa Wilkinson
In a Laksa 🙂
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Naz M
I love prawns with rice, I've had a king prawn biryani once and it was amazing.
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GIllian McClelland
I love to cook King Prawns in batter with a garlic mayo dip
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Jenny Jones
Love my prawns in a Tomato, garlic and herb sauce with pasta
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Annette Oliver
Subscribed to news letter
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Annette Oliver
I enjoy prawns best in a curry or stir fry
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Annette Oliver
I enjoy prawns best in a curry or stir fry
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Viv
Paella, for sure!
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Viv
Paella, for sure!
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Viv
Paella, for sure!
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Viv
Paella, for sure!
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Jade Hewlett
I like prawns in a stir fry
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Lindsey Jones
I love prawn co*cktail with home made crusty bread
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Lindsey Jones
I love prawn co*cktail with home made crusty bread
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Solange
Grilled on the barbecue with garlic
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Elspeth MacMillan
I just love prawn co*cktail
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Barbara Handley
Prawn co*cktails at 60's nostalgia parties.
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Barbara Handley
Prawn co*cktails at 60's nostalgia parties.
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Andrew
still looking and sounding so tempting after all these years (well two years in the case of this post, but you know what I mean...)
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Lynsey Buchanan
I like my prawns in a salad
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Lynsey Buchanan
I like my prawns in a salad
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Richard Tyler
I love them in Chili for that kick 🙂
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Richard Tyler
I love them in Chili for that kick 🙂
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Christine Constable
I love prawns fried simply but with a good aioli to dip them in.
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clair downham
with lots of garlic thankyou
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Maxine G
In a vodka, tomato and chilli sauce!
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Melanie Pugh
we love a nice paella with prawns, chicken and chorizo.
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Meeta
Ok you celebrate 9 and I am celebrating 10 ... so happy blog birthday to us. I like your style with these gorgeous looking prawns! Michelle keep up the great work and here's to many more great images and blog birthdays!
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Kat Lucas
Butterflied prawns in panko crumbs
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Scott
Prawn curry, cant beat it.
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Scott
Prawn curry, cant beat it.
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Scott
Prawn curry, cant beat it.
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Scott
Prawn curry, cant beat it.
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Alex Halliday
Such a tasty recipe and so simple too! Looking forward to trying out the others in the book.
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Hester McQueen
I've enjoyed reading all the comments. Garlic, butter, and loads of crusty bread; prawn co*cktail, risotto, and the other half makes an amazing curry with them.
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kellyjo walters
I just love them pan fried in garlic than I let cook a bit and dip generously in thousand island sauce
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Jo Carroll
I really enjoy a lovely Prawn Salad...you just can't beat it. Prawns, avocado, tomatoes, spring onions and lettuce drizzled with the olive oil and lemon juice. x
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Janice Mackin
Prawn co*cktail
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michelle
Currently I can't get enough of prawn co*cktail!
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Ruth Tesdale
In a stir fry
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Claire Blaney
in a prawn co*cktail
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Camilla Hawkins
Many congratulations on your blog birthday Michelle, here's to the next 9 yrs and beyond! These prawns are so up my street and I have to admit I have never cooked whole ones but do enjoy eating them when I'm out:-)
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Camilla Hawkins
Many congratulations on your blog birthday Michelle, here's to the next 9 yrs and beyond! These prawns are so up my street and I have to admit I have never cooked whole ones but do enjoy eating them when I'm out:-)
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laura banks
already subscribed
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laura banks
on a BBQ
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laura banks
on a BBQ
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Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
I think there are very few things that aren't improved by garlic and butter. Happy blog birthday, 9 years is a real achievement! 🙂
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Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
I think there are very few things that aren't improved by garlic and butter. Happy blog birthday, 9 years is a real achievement! 🙂
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Jaelin Farrow
I love prawns in a chilli and tomato sauce with pasta, or in a curry! But, when I went on holiday to South Africa I had prawns with garlic butter and rice...so good!
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Christine Dodd
Gambas pil pil
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Freya Johnson
For me it would have to be either on the bbq or in a garlicy butter... yum!
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Freya Johnson
For me it would have to be either on the bbq or in a garlicy butter... yum!
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C Kennedy
In a prawn co*cktail. It's my favourite starter of all time!
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Kristy Brown
I love them pan seared with garlic and a soon of tomato puree then tossed in wholewheat spaghetti and shredded spinach
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Emily Knight
Just like your recipe - sauteed in garlic butter! I love them coated with a coconut panko crumb too...
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Simon tutthill
It has to be in a gorgeous prawn salad.
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darren hay
Tempura prawns with a sweet chilli dipping sauce
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Gilla01
I've never had prawns in a restaurant. Are they the same as scampi?
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Lorna Ledger
I love them with chilli, and garlic, yum!!!!
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amy bondoc
I love prawns in pasta
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kellie@foodtoglow
Wow, it looks like you are getting a lot of love from fellow South Africans! These prawns look wonderful, and I'm sure they were just as nice as when you were making them 9 years ago. Happy 9th Blogiversary! I recently celebrated 5 years. No post, but a glass of fizz instead. Long may you keep posting such gorgeous recipes. 🙂
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Caroline MANAMELA
These prawns coomed and taste deluciously like in the popular restaurants, mouth watering and tasty
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Lucy Major
As prawn pil pil with garlic oil and chilli on a beach in Spain!
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Iris W
In a stirfry or grilled with sweet chilli
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Marion Smith
I love a good old prawn co*cktail or I like to make Prawn stir fry, these recipes look fab and I would love to be able to try them:), thanks for giving away such a good prize!
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Angie Hoggett
I love them in a sweet chilli jam marinade, I've also subscribed via email
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Tracy Nixon
Bbq'd and served with garlic!
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Alexis Law
Garlic and chilli
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Richard Eldred Hawes
Grilled on the barbecue and with a big pot of mayonnaise
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Duncan gohl
Sadly you haven't been to Knysna lately…….
Run down and a pot smokers haven.
Most of the houses on the Eastern Heads are for sale.
Very sad as it was our hometown.Reply
kate
Howzit!!!! I lived in the UK for about 3 years before coming back to sunny South Africa. We went to Mediterranean Fish market yesterday and bought a big box of prawns - the big juicy south african kind! It's weird to be home this christmas, swimming and braaing and about to put a few prawns onto the skottle!!
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Drew
I'm also a saffa who really enjoys sea food and a braai is not complete without decent tiger prawns for me .
For those saffa's who are london based like me I can highlly recommend the fishmongers in borough market as they have a very good selection of prawns and other sea food at decent prices with practiclly any size of prawn Your looking for right up to indonesian tiger giants . I've also found that though pricey the quality of the meat at the ginger pig butchery which is also at that market is exceptionally good and is one of the few places You can get Tbone from 😀
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Chris
This is amazing - I look up a garlic prawn recipe and the first one that comes up is from a local!
I know what you mean about Southend - it's not the best, but I'll check out that shop in York Road and who knows what other goodies I'll find.If you want a more charming place to buy prawns, make a trip over to Leigh-on-Sea(Old Town)- there's a Fisherman's Co-op on Bell Wharf where they sell all sorts of seafood, all freshly caught and not too expensive. There's also a chip shop nearby to make the trip complete.
I'm an Aussie and need a prawn-fix fairly often too.
Cheers,
ChrisReply
Charles
Hi y'all. I am a Rhodie/South African who misses home and our wonderful food big time. I now live in Houston but can not get garlic butter prawns as you can guess. I am glad to find your recipe and will cetainly try it. Found another one a while back but it was not very good, but yours looks just like we used to get in Salisbury and of course Pretoria, CT and Joburg.
Sleep warm y'all.Reply
James
Ag Ja, how did you end up there anyway?? Anyway for you Saffa prawn addicts in London try Sheperds Bush market. They are not farmed and huge!! Just add garlic, chili, corriander and little ginger and butter and then swicth on the rugby!
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James
Ag Ja, how did you end up there anyway?? Anyway for you Saffa prawn addicts in London try Sheperds Bush market. They are not farmed and huge!! Just add garlic, chili, corriander and little ginger and butter and then swicth on the rugby!
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belle
Good
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belle
Good
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Michelle
Whoa, more South Africans!
I need a prawn-fix again, so I'll have to visit the Chinese shop soon. You're right about the menus with their "prawns". When Americans say "shrimps", they actually mean prawns though. Quite confusing.
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Shelagh
Im definately going to track this shop down. Im dying for some decent prawns. I want to laugh when I see the word 'prawns' on a menu because what you get are shrimps.
I am most definately interested in meeting other South Africans. I live in Rochford. How do we go about it?
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fred
YES that is so TRUE....for over 15 years I've said the same. don't shops and resturants know between prawns and shrimps????
Go to south India, they are the bestReply
Shelagh
Im definately going to track this shop down. Im dying for some decent prawns. I want to laugh when I see the word 'prawns' on a menu because what you get are shrimps.
I am most definately interested in meeting other South Africans. I live in Rochford. How do we go about it?
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Michelle
Definitely, Ann! 🙂
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Ann Hawley
Hi Michelle
I googled South Africans in Southend and your very interesting website came up! I'll definitely try the Chinese shop in York Road!
The reason for my search is to find other South Africans / Namibians / Zims to arrange a get-together for the better weather in the new year.
Are you interested in meeting other South Africans?
Kind regards
AnnReply
