STEAMED TIGER PRAWNS WITH CHINESE RICE WINE, GINGER & GREEN ONIONS

Tiger prawns are pale brown to bluey green with distinctive grey, blue or black stripes, for which they’re named. Black tiger prawns are the most common aquaculture prawn in Australia and are available year round. Scarlet prawns, a by-catch of deep-sea fishing occasionally seen in fishmongers, have very firm flesh that is also excellent prepared this way. They are named for their shell, which is bright red even before they’re cooked.

SERVES
2
PREP TIME
10 mins
COOK TIME
10 mins
ALTERNATIVE SPECIES
ALTERNATIVE SPECIES:

INGREDIENTS

12 x 60g green Tiger Prawns 
150ml Shaoxing (see notes)
50ml yellow bean sauce 
100g young ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
75ml peanut oil
40ml sesame oil
½ bunch green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
Freshly ground white peppercorns, to taste
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
 

METHOD

Leaving the shell and heads on, cut the prawns down the back and remove the dark vein, leaving any orange roe inside the prawns.

Half fill a wok or large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. 

Place prawns in a dish with Shaoxing, yellow bean sauce and half the ginger. Place in a steamer basket. Place steamer over wok or saucepan, cover and steam for a few minutes, until prawn shells turn orange; the prawn flesh should still be slightly glassy.

Place prawns on a heat-proof serving platter with a little of the steaming liquid. Top with green onion and remaining ginger and sprinkle with pepper.

Combine peanut oil and sesame oil in a small saucepan and heat until smoking. Immediately (and carefully) pour it over the prawns, which will sizzle. 

Serve with rice.  

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© Sydney Fish Market, 2026

Developed with the assistance of grant funds from the Eat More NSW Seafood grant program, led by NSWDPI and NSWSIC.

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