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The late Anthony Bourdain once said that he could never be friends with anyone who doesn't like what's in a shrimp's head. While elBulli’s Ferran Adrià famously compared sucking the contents of a shrimp’s head as tasting the “essence of the sea”.
We are all aware of the need to utilise as much of any ingredient we can to do our bit for the environment and yet, all over the western world, in restaurants and home kitchens, the very best piece of the prawn gets discarded for some reason.
Whatever has happened, many people just don’t consider the contents of a prawn’s head to be worthy of consumption, and that’s a pity because it’s undoubtedly the most delicious part.
Not that prawns have very big brains - it’s doubtful they spend their lives contemplating the nature of their existence - but what is in their tiny little heads is like a concentrated essence of fish flavouring that should never be thrown away.
Crispy fried prawn heads
One way to use up the heads is to do what most of the eastern world does and that’s fry them up as an appetiser or as a side dish. Crispy fried prawn heads are delicious but quite crunchy. They take a little bit of work to eat but they are very much worth it. Take the heads and clean them well, removing the antennae. Add a teaspoon of turmeric to the water you’re cleaning them with. When the heads are dry, toss them in self-raising flour and fry in vegetable oil until they are golden brown. Serve with dipping sauces with wedges of lime and icy cold beer to wash them down.
Prawn salt
The prawn’s body shells make for a delicious seasoning for any kind of fish dish you are preparing. Fry the shells in hot oil and when golden, remove and pat down with a paper towel. Put the fried shells in a spice grinder together with some sea salt and grind to a fine powder. You can now use your prawn salt for as a crunchy seasoning for all your seafood dishes.
Prawn stock
A shrimp stock had a wonderful, delicate fish flavour. Crush your cooked prawn waste with a mortar and pestle and cook for a coupe of hours in vegetable stock or water. Add aromatics for flavour if desried.
Prawn butter
This is a beautifully rich addition to any prawn dish, and once tried it will be returned to again and again. Break open the heads of the prawns and scoop out the contents. Mix the prawn brains with plenty of butter in a pan and melt but don't overcook or the butter will separate. Add lemon juice and remove. You can pour the prawn butter over any seafood and you won’t regret it.
Prawn oil
A very easy way to use all the flavour of the prawn. Strain the prawns after frying the prawns in vegetable oil, add a splash of soy and olive oil, and you've got a flavour-rich oil that can be added to udon noodles.
Prawn head miso
The prawn head is where all the best flavour of the prawn is, and you can use it to make a magnificent miso paste. It is easy to make but takes about six months' fermentation to have a delicious umami-rich miso paste that you can use in any numer of Japanese soups and dishes. Once cooked, scoop out the brains from the head and put in a sterilised container with some rice koji and you're done. Seal and put away for six months to allow the magic to happen.
