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Ebi no umani (simmered prawns)
Head-on prawns simmered in sweet soy until glossy red, for long life
Bright red prawns curled like a bent back sit in every Shōgatsu osechi box in Japan as a wish to live until your back is bent with age, and their red is the colour of celebration. Simmered briefly in dashi, soy and sugar, they stay plump and juicy, and cooling in the liquid gives them a sweet-savoury flavour right through to the shell. The liquid includes sake and mirin, both rice wines; for no alcohol, replace the sake with extra dashi and the mirin with 3 tbsp water plus 1 tbsp sugar. Use frozen head-on prawns, thawed in the fridge. Serve cold or at room temperature in the osechi box, or warm with rice. Chef's tip: lift the prawns out as soon as they turn pink, reduce the liquid, then return them; this keeps them tender.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 head-on prawns, shell onlarge (about 400 g), frozen raw, thawed in the fridge
- ¾ cup dashi
- 3 tbsp sakeor 3 tbsp extra dashi for no alcohol
- 3 tbsp mirinor 3 tbsp water + 1 tbsp sugar for no alcohol
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce (usukuchi)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse 8 head-on prawns, shell on and pat dry. Trim the long feelers and the sharp tip of the head with scissors, then slip a toothpick between the shell segments on the back, second joint from the head, and pull out the dark vein.
8 minStep 2: Bring ¾ cup dashi, 3 tbsp sake, 3 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp light soy sauce (usukuchi) to the boil in a wide pan over medium heat.
2 minStep 3: Lay the prawns in a single layer, cover with a drop lid or baking paper and simmer for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until the shells are bright red and the flesh is pink and opaque all the way through. Common mistake: simmering them for the whole reduction; they turn tough and rubbery.
4 minStep 4: Lift the prawns into a container. Boil the liquid for 2–3 minutes until reduced by about a third and slightly syrupy.
3 minStep 5: Pour the liquid over the prawns and let them cool in it, then chill. Serve cold or at room temperature within 2 days.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ebi no umani (simmered prawns) take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of mirin?
- Rice vinegar with ½ tsp sugar per tbsp.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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