peeling prawns

Everyone has their own technique for peeling prawns but when you are doing a few kilo's some ways are

faster. I just love prawn cutlets so I have peeled a few prawns in my day and I don't like to spend any more

time at it than I have to, I'd like to share how I do it. This is a 3 step job and the trick to speed is

process all the prawns one step at a time, I think its very important to keep your seafood chilled so I

usually return the prawns to the fridge at the end of each stage to re chill them (about the time it takes

to drink a beer) but if I want to do them quickly I use ice under stainless bowls to keep them chilled.

Step One. Heads Off
Hold the prawn on its back grab just under the little front legs and peel head back and pull away, if you

are careful and your prawns are chilled and not part frozen, most times the poo tube will come out with the

head, sometimes you have to grab it a bit as the head comes away but about 80% of the time it comes out

clean. Don't stuff around to much trying to get the tube out unless you are not going to butterfly later.

Just rip through the lot, heads off all prawns, step one done in a few minutes, chill bowl and have a beer

while wrapping heads for storage in the freezer for stock or till garbage night.



Step Two. The Cut
Lay the headless prawn on its back and run your finger down between the legs to expose the shell. Using a

sharp stanley knife on the first click, smallest amount of blade extended, hold the prawn by the tail and run

the knife along the belly towards the head making a nice shallow cut through the shell (use a new blade

every 6 kilo it really makes a difference). Have a paper towel handy for your fingers as sometimes they get

a bit slippery. Go hard, cut them all and return to fridge to chill, step 2 done in minutes, have a beer.
 


Step Three. Shells off.
This bit is a little tricky till you get the hang of it then its really easy. The prawn tail section that

we love to hold when eating is attached to the rest of the shell in only two small spots, like little

hinges,I have highlighted the spots in the pic below



All you do is click each hinge apart and the whole shell peels off like a raincoat. Its hard to explain but

you just hold the prawn by the tail and get your finger under the shell where the cut starts, maybe a little

twist and it just pops apart, do this on both sides and peel the shell off from the tail end, it comes off

in one piece legs and all. Easy as, do them all, prawns ready to be butterflied, time to rechill and ..well

you get the idea



This is a green prawn only technique, and really comes into its own when doing large amounts. Works when the

shells are a bit thin and hard to peel in the conventional method. From here to prawn cutlets is standard

stuff.