How to make crunchy Prawn head fries.
Once you know how to make them, you’ll never throw away these unusual delicacies ever again.
gluten-free, low-carb.
Now is it just me or would you agree that these prawn head fries which usually end up being thrown look good enough to eat even with those beady black eyes staring at you?
No, honestly, I wouldn’t post this how-to recipe if I didn’t see my five-year-old munching on them with a bowl of barbecue sauce, loving them and calling them prawn chips.
Am I trying to convince you to try deep-frying your prawn heads you usually throw?
I sure am.
It’s crunchy with a slight chew that can be addictive, deep fry them until they turn golden, squeeze a bit of lemon, dip it in your favorite sauce and you’ve got a very unusual appetizer.
Every time I have to make family seafood favorites like a Sri Lankan Prawn curry or a pan of Black pepper prawns,
So much of these prawn heads end up in trash bins that I always think, “there has to be a way to use them”, and use them I did.
I ended up deep frying them a few times to see how it goes and the results were these Prawn bites that my youngest loved even though she hates anything that leaves “pieces” when she bites.
Even if you feel the need to disagree with me, I would suggest giving it a try at least once.
It is a great way to teach kids about being resourceful and openly have discussions of food wastage and food shortage around the world, just make sure it doesn’t sound like a lecture.
Make it short and sweet and they’ll get the idea.
What did my family think about Prawn fries?
Well, there were a few questions of”can we really eat those?”, “do they taste good?”, which helped me to give them a short version of what I’ve written above without being boring.
Once they tasted the prawn chips, even the beady eyes didn’t bother them much.
With all these questions going on, these prawn fries just disappeared in minutes which reminds me, can you imagine the interesting conversations you’ll inspire while serving these crunchy bites?
Agree or disagree, it will be much better than your friends or guest being preoccupied with their mobile devices, don’t you think?
How to clean the Prawn heads to fry them?
Once you take off the heads from the prawns you can freeze them to use later.
To clean the heads, first, remove the feelers off the prawn heads and then wash them thoroughly in water with half a teaspoon of Turmeric.
Make sure to clean the hollow space left after removing the prawn body.
SAVE THE RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
Kitchen utensils and equipment needed to make prawn head fries.
You will need a deep frying pan, tongs, kitchen towels and a large bowl.
Notes–
1/ To clean the prawn heads, follow the method mentioned above.
2/ It is very important to know how long to fry them. the slightest over frying can completely change the taste for the worst, so make sure you keep an eye on them while you deep fry in small batches.
You only need to fry them between 1-2 minutes until they are golden. try frying a head first so you know how long it will take in your own stove.
Prawn recipes you might like to try.
Caramelized garlic prawn stir-fry(20 minutes).
Spicy black pepper dry prawn curry(Sri Lankan).
Sri Lankan prawn curry cooked in coconut milk.
How to make Prawn head fries.
Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.
Ingredients
Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
left-over prawn heads
1-2 cup of oil to fry
100g of self-raising flour( if you don’t have any self-raising flour, just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every cup of flour used and sift to mix them well
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
Method
Wash the prawn heads thoroughly in water with 1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric.
Leave them to drain and pat them dry.
Add the self-raising flour to a plate with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix well.
If you are unable to find self-raising flour, add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every cup of flour used and sift to mix them well.
In small batches coat the prawn heads with the flour, make sure you do this well, although the coating will be thin it has to be done right.
Once all the Prawn heads are coated with flour, place a deep pan with the oil on the stove and heat it.
Regarding the temperature of the oil to fry the prawn heads, if you are using a candy thermometer the temperature should be between 330F- 375F.
If you don’t have a thermometer, place a wooden spoon handle in the oil if bubbles appear around the handle then it’s the perfect temperature to fry the prawn heads.
Frying between 1-2 minutes should do. keep in mind, IF THE OIL SMOKES THEN ITS TOO HOT to fry the heads.
It’s important to fry the prawns without burning them, even a slight burn can affect the taste so try frying one as a trial run first, once you’ve got the temperature right, continue with the rest.
Fry the prawn heads in small batches between 1-2 minutes until they turn golden.
Serve them within 1/2 hour with your favorite sauce and wedges of lime to enhance the taste.
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How to make crunchy Prawn head fries.
HOW TO MAKE CRUNCHY PRAWN HEAD FRIES,ONCE YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE
THEM, YOU’LL NEVER THROW AWAY THESE UNUSUAL DELICACIES EVER AGAIN.
GLUTEN-FREE, LOW-CARB, STOP FOOD WASTE.
Ingredients
- Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
- left-over prawn heads
- 1-2 cup of oil to fry
- 100g of self-raising flour( if you don’t have any self-raising flour, just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every cup of flour used and sift to mix them well.
- 1/2 teaspoon of Salt
Instructions
- Wash the prawn heads thoroughly in water with 1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric.
- Leave them to drain and pat them dry.
- Add the self-raising flour to a plate with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix well.
- If you are unable to find self-raising flour, add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every cup of flour used and sift to mix them well.
- In small batches coat the prawn heads with the flour, make sure you do this well, although the coating will be thin it has to be done right.
- Once all the Prawn heads are coated with flour, place a deep pan with the oil on the stove and heat it.
- Regarding the temperature of the oil to fry the prawn heads, if you are using a candy thermometer the temperature should be between 330F- 375F, if you do not have a thermometer, place a wooden spoon handle in the oil if bubbles appear around the handle then it’s the perfect temperature to fry the prawn heads, frying between 1-2 minutes should do. keep in mind, IF THE OIL SMOKES THEN ITS TOO HOT to fry the heads.
- It’s important to fry the prawns without burning them, even a slight burn can affect the taste so try frying one as a trial run first, once you’ve got the temperature right, continue with the rest.
- Fry the prawn heads in small batches between 1-2 minutes until they turn golden.
- Serve them within 1/2 hour with your favorite sauce and wedges of lime to enhance the taste.
Notes
1/ To clean the prawn heads, follow the method mentioned above.
2/ It is very important to know how long to fry them. the slightest over frying can completely change the taste for the worst, so make sure you keep an eye on them while you deep fry in small batches. you only need to fry them between 1-2 minutes until they are golden. try frying a head first so you know how long it will take in your own stove.
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Matthew
Wednesday 22nd of February 2023
Don't clean out the head. That is the good stuff.
Mark
Wednesday 13th of March 2019
It worked perfectly for me. Thanks for being so clear in the instructions. I used a small pan and had the gas turned up to full. I placed a small piece of a tail in the oil and when the heat was enough that the piece started to bubble I waited about 10 seconds before putting the rest in and cooked for very nearly 2 minutes without turning the gas down.
I used Rice Bran Oil with a little Sesame oil added.
As is my preference, I added chilli powder to the flour and salt mixture.
The result was excellent first time. Crisp and crunchy with no chewiness and a great flavour. You could not hope for more flavour than these tails had when cooked like this.
jehan
Saturday 16th of March 2019
Hi Mark, Rice bran oil is not available here but I get my husband to bring it down from Thailand. If I had a choice I'll prefer this oil as well. Glad you liked the recipe and it came out perfect.
Joakim Törngren
Thursday 20th of July 2017
Thanks for the tips, however the one thing that would be really helpful is how hot the oil should be when deep frying the heads?
Lubna
Monday 24th of April 2017
This is very interesting recipe....never knew you can make fry out of prawn heads....looks very crunchy....
I have dropped a mail regarding Ramadan guest post....long back...Waiting to hear from you....