School Prawns were historically only used as bait, and enjoyed by a select few fishermen in the know, before migrants from Asia taught Australians how good they can be when treated with a bit of love! While larger varieties of prawn are more classically popular, one of our favourite little-known tips for prawns is that the smaller the prawn, the sweeter the taste – making little School Prawns the sweetest of them all! Much of Sydney Fish Market's supply of school prawns comes from the Clarence River, Wallis Lake, Newcastle, and Hawkesbury co-operatives

They are often far too small to make peeling a worthwhile exercise, so we recommend deep-frying them whole and topping them with chilli salt. Don’t let the legs and heads deter you – they crisp up so effectively with this cooking method that eating them is like eating crunchy potato chips.

DIVE DEEPER

COMMERCIAL NAME

School Prawn

Method of Capture

Trawl Net

Region

Eastern Australia,
Northern Australia

Other names

NSW School Prawn, Stockton Bight Prawn, York Prawn, White River Prawn, Bay Prawn, Schoolie (School); River Prawn (Western School).

Scientific Family

Penaeidae

Seasonality

Available year-round peaking from October to April.

Size

Average 10g and 9cm in body length, but can reach 17.5cm.

Price range

Low priced.

Alternative Species

Other Prawns, Bugs, Marron, Redclaw, Rock Lobsters, Yabby.

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES

SHOPPING TIPS

School Prawns are most commonly bought cooked, as they have a shorter shelf life than King or Tiger Prawns. 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.

STORAGE TIPS

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.

COOKING TIPS

Average yield is 45%. Generally sweeter than larger prawns, with a medium flavour, low-medium oiliness moist flesh with a medium 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, or make a small incision along the back and remove it.

In cooked prawns, cut the back open to remove the digestive tract.

Very small prawns can be eaten whole, shell and all.

COOKING METHODS

Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, stir-fry, grill, barbecue. School Prawns are often deep-fried shell and all. The firm flesh holds together well in soups and curries.

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 once they are removed from the pan.

Cooked prawns are good in salads and sandwiches, or eaten cold with a dipping sauce, but don’t use them in a cooked dish, as reheating will make them tough.