10medium-size prawns , 250 grams; Split back to devein, butterfly the prawns, rinsed and pat dry
50gramsglass noodles, soaked in warm water, drained
60gramsgarlic, 1 bulb, peeled and chopped
1stalkspring onion, diced
Seasonings:
1tbspsoy sauce
½tspsugar
1tbsplight soy sauce
1tbspchinese cooking wine
⅓cupwater
¼tspground white pepper
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Instructions
Preparing Ingredients:
Have ready some fresh medium size prawns.
With a pair of sharp kitchen scissors, first cut of the rostrum which is the sharp spine above the prawn head.
Then trim off the top, whiskers and the legs of prawns. Cut a slit in the middle and gently remove the veins and butterfly the prawns. Be careful not to cut too deep to avoid cutting the prawn into half. Then set aside.
Also, prepare all ingredients used to steam the prawns.
First, soak glass noodles in warm water for 10 minutes. Drained and set aside.
Peel and chop lots of garlic and set aside.
Dice spring onions for garnishing purpose and set aside. Then we are ready to prepare the steaming sauce.
Preparing Sauce:
First heat 1 tbsp cooking oil and fry half of the chopped garlic. Fry for a short while (no need to brown the garlic).
Then add in the oyster sauce and sugar. Stir fry till sugar melts. Then turn off the flame.
Next, mix in light soy sauce, cooking wine, water and a dash of ground white pepper. Stir till well combined and remove to cool.
Then using the same wok, add in another 1 tbsp cooking oil and fry the remaining half of the chopped garlic till brown and crispy. Remove from the hot wok into a bowl to be use for garnishing the steamed prawns later.
Preparing the dish:
Place soaked glass noodles on a heat proof deep and wide dish plate.
Then arrange nicely the prawns (butterfly) on top of the glass noodles.
Open up the middle of each prawn and spoon garlic sauce onto the prawn. And we are ready to steam the prawns.
Steam Garlic Prawns:
Prepare steamer by bringing water to a rapid boil.
Place the prawns with the glass noodle in the steamer and steam for about 5 - 8 minutes over high heat.
Then garnish with the fried crispy garlic on the top and sprinkle with the freshly diced spring onion. Serve immediately and Enjoy!
Make sure to use fresh prawns. Fresh prawns should smell salty, feel firm and have a translucent and glossy outer shells. The best way to store them is to freeze them in ice until they are required for cooking.Make sure to remove the sharp spine of prawns before steaming as it may cut your lips or tongue when you are eating them.Use low heat when frying the minced garlic till golden brown as burnt garlic would cause the dish to be bitter.Check for doneness after 5 minutes, if the flesh still looks translucent, steam for another 1-2 minutes.Put in the prawns to steam only when water is at a rapid boil. Be sure to use high heat to steam. This is to ensure enough steam is generated to cook the prawn through.The steaming process should not be too long or the prawns would be overcooked and turned out tough and rubbery. If possible, use a bamboo steamer to avoid condensation of water dripping from the lid into the dish and affecting the flavour.