Mastering the Art of Cooking Raw, Frozen Prawns

Whip up a delicious meal regardless of whether you have time to thaw your prawns or not. Planning a delightful seafood dinner but unsure if there's enough time to defrost your frozen prawns? No worries—there are numerous quick methods to defrost them or cook them directly from frozen! In this guide, we'll explore the finest ways to thaw and prepare prawns, no matter how frozen they are. Let's get started!

- Thaw frozen prawns safely by placing them in the fridge overnight or, if you're in a rush, soak them in cold salt water for approximately 20 minutes until thawed. - Once thawed, grill or sauté the prawns for up to 5 minutes, or boil them in salted water for 3-6 minutes. - If cooking directly from frozen, rinse off any ice crystals swiftly before broiling, sautéing, air frying, or poaching. Adjust cooking time by adding 1-2 extra minutes.

Give the prawns a quick rinse to eliminate ice crystals before roasting or sautéing. Place them in a colander and rinse under cold water for about a minute to break apart frozen clumps and remove excess ice. This prevents unwanted water from diluting or soaking into your main dish.

Broil frozen prawns on high in the oven for 5-8 minutes. Position the oven rack about 6 inches (15 cm) from the broiler. Preheat the broiler to high (500–550 °F (260–288 °C)) and place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack to heat for 10 minutes. Toss the frozen, rinsed prawns in your preferred seasoning mix, then transfer them to the hot baking sheet. Cook for 5-8 minutes.

Sauté frozen prawns in a pan with oil and garlic for 5-7 minutes. Heat 1-2 tbsp (15-30 mL) of olive oil in a pan over high heat, then cook 1-2 cloves of minced garlic for about 1 minute. Pat the rinsed, frozen prawns dry and add them to the hot oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they turn pink and firm.

Poach frozen prawns in boiling water with your choice of additional flavors. Fill a pot with about 8 to 9 cups (1.9 to 2.1 L) of water and at least ½ tsp (2.5 g) of salt over high heat. Add any desired spices or flavors, such as lemon juice or garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the prawns and cover to cook for 5-6 minutes.

Air fry frozen prawns at 400 °F (204 °C) for 8 minutes. Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes while rinsing and removing ice crystals from the shrimp (no need to thaw). Pat dry and place in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Fry for 4 minutes, flip, and cook for another 3-4 minutes.