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Home » Fish » All Hail Spot Prawns!

All Hail Spot Prawns!

By Hank Shaw on September 4, 2018, Updated May 17, 2020 - 26 Comments

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4.95 from 18 votes
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gambas al ajillo receta
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Spot prawns, a large shrimp that ranges from Baja California all the way up to Alaska, are arguably the greatest shrimp in all of North America — if not the world.

I’ve eaten dozens of varieties of shrimp all over the world, and the only other species that come close are the Royal Red in the Gulf and the spot prawn’s cousin, the coonstripe prawn. Don’t get me wrong, all the other shrimp I’ve had in the United States and Canada have been fantastic, but spotties are special.

Why? For starters, there is a reason they are called amaebi, or sweet shrimp, on sushi menus. Spot prawns are sweet. Really sweet. Almost dessert sweet. Second, they can be huge, more than 10 inches long. Third, they are far more lobstery than any other shrimp I’ve ever eaten, richer and less, well, crunchy than normal shrimp.

And besides, aren’t they gorgeous?

spot prawns recipe
Photo by Hank Shaw

Finally, spot prawns are a sustainable fishery, so you can eat them without worrying about ruining the oceans. You catch them in pots dropped anywhere from 150 to 1000 feet down (300 feet is a sweet spot for prawns… see what I did there?) and when you haul the pots up, everything in them is alive. So you can toss back any bycatch.

I for one like to eat my bycatch, however. Whelks, Pacific pink shrimp, spotties’ cousin the coonstripe shrimp, etc.

Once you have some spot prawns, how to cook them? In a word, simply. I cannot overemphasize how important it is to not bury the flavor of these shrimp in heavy sauces.

If you have them ultra fresh, as in heads-on, suck the head like you would a crawfish. If that skeeves you out, try dusting them in corn starch and deep frying the heads for about 2 minutes. Shockingly good, and yes, you eat the shell and all. Heads also make a boss shrimp stock.

I prefer to cook my spot prawns shell on, because the shell adds flavor. And if the prawns have eggs under their little swimmerets, you gnaw them off like corn on the cob; they taste like tiny briny pop rocks. (Note that keeping prawns with roe is illegal in British Columbia.) If you do peel before cooking, save the shells for stock.

I have never seen an icky “mud line” in spot prawns the way you do with all other shrimp, so I never devein them. Go for it if it makes you feel better.

Cooking spot prawns should be a short process. Grill over high heat, or saute in a pan with olive oil or butter. Spot prawns like garlic, a little citrus and maybe some chiles or grated horseradish. Most people I know in Alaska or British Columbia just leave it at that — no curries, or heavy cocktail sauces or stews. Leave that for other shrimp.

This recipe for gambas al ajillo, or Spanish garlic prawns, fits the bill: Olive oil, lemon, garlic, a little chile, maybe a bit of parsley for color. That’s it. Peel and eat.

Spanish shrimp recipe
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4.95 from 18 votes

Gambas al Ajillo, Spanish Garlic Shrimp

Any shrimp will do here, but I love this with spot prawns. You want lots of garlic, a little chile, and enough lemon to balance out the olive oil. This recipe is best done with shell-on shrimp that you peel at the table, but you can do it with peeled and deveined shrimp, too. 
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time3 mins
Total Time13 mins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 238kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 to 2 pounds large shrimp, preferably spot prawns
  • Salt
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped or sliced thin
  • 1 or 2 small, hot chiles, sliced thin, or 2 dried, hot chiles, crumbled
  • Juice of a lemon

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. When it just barely begins to smoke, add all the shrimp and toss to coat with the oil. 
  • Add the garlic, chile and salt the pan well. Cook over high heat, tossing and/or stirring, until all the shrimp just barely turn pink, about 2 minutes, tops. Toss with the lemon juice and serve at once. 

Notes

NOTE: These are also excellent served at room temperature or chilled as an appetizer. 

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 882mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 3mg
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Filed Under: American Recipes, Appetizers and Snacks, Featured, Fish, Recipe, Spanish

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for SusanSusan says

    January 7, 2023 at 3:54 pm

    These were very good and easy to make. Just a few ingredients. Do you have a recipe or suggestions for making seafood stock with the shells?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 9, 2023 at 8:54 am

      Susan: Yes. Use the search bar on the site and look for “shrimp stock.”

      Reply
  2. Avatar for Julie JoselynJulie Joselyn says

    May 28, 2022 at 8:13 pm

    Discovered your site and recipe and gave it a try. It is superb!. Really showcases the spot prawn beautifully.
    In the design field there is an adage of “Less is More” This is what your recipe is, nothing overpowers the prawns.
    Never too old to learn, Thank you, its a keeper!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for LizLiz says

    May 13, 2022 at 7:43 pm

    Soooooo good. The best way we’ve experienced yet. Thanks for posting this recipe.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Tasha CarvellTasha Carvell says

    December 18, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    I made this tonight and nearly wept it was so good. I’ve never had spot prawns before. Mind-blowing. Thank you so much for this perfect dish.

    Reply
  5. Avatar for Amy BAmy B says

    September 20, 2020 at 6:57 pm

    Excellent recipe! Thank you

    Reply
  6. Avatar for Jay MJay M says

    July 3, 2020 at 7:19 am

    What type of chili pepper? All kinds of shapes and colors available, and I want to benefit from your experience with any/all… thanks

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      July 3, 2020 at 7:24 am

      Jay: Typically I’d use a small, hot one, like a Thai or Tabasco or pequin, but I like things hot.

      Reply
  7. Avatar for CrisCris says

    June 28, 2020 at 1:48 am

    Excellent recipe

    Reply
  8. Avatar for EvaEva says

    May 23, 2020 at 5:35 pm

    Hoping to make this tonight and hoping you might respond in time … I have 2 doz live spotted prawns – do I boil them first or toss them while into the pan?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      May 23, 2020 at 5:35 pm

      Eva: no, you cook them in the pan only. No need to pre-boil them.

      Reply
    • Avatar for EvaEva says

      May 23, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      *whole

      Reply
  9. Avatar for Swapna MazumderSwapna Mazumder says

    November 4, 2019 at 8:41 am

    Thank you for the recipe. My husband, a salmon fisher, put down prawn traps for the first time and did we ever get a haul ~ 4 kg. Stupidly I threw the heads out, next time i am making stock for chowder.

    Reply
    • Avatar for GenGen says

      June 16, 2020 at 9:12 pm

      Hi, is there a recipe you recommend for grilling the prawns?

      Reply
      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        June 17, 2020 at 6:57 am

        Gen: Yes, this one. Use all the ingredients as a marinade, then grill the prawns in the shells over high heat. Peel and eat!

  10. Avatar for chocho says

    May 15, 2019 at 9:41 am

    shouldn’t we (non-British Columbians) also be throwing back prawns with roe?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      May 15, 2019 at 10:18 am

      Cho: Depends. They are not endangered or threatened, and the roe is delicious. So it’s up to you. I keep some and toss back others.

      Reply
  11. Avatar for Michele SellersMichele Sellers says

    February 16, 2019 at 4:56 pm

    So simple and SO good! I belong to a fishery co-op and got some spot prawns. Had no idea what to do with them (specifically) so I was happy to find this article !!

    Reply
  12. Avatar for Meurig DaviesMeurig Davies says

    September 5, 2018 at 12:12 am

    Spot shrimps look gorgeous! Most large shrimp we can buy in the UK are frozen Asian freshwater farmed shrimp. Not a patch on the flavour of the little ones we catch around our Pembrokeshire Coast! Do you know if spot shrimp are exported to the UK? Definitely a market here.

    Reply
  13. Avatar for Daaron BakerDaaron Baker says

    September 4, 2018 at 3:08 pm

    I’ve been very interested in trying to catch spot prawns and coonstripe prawns in the Bay Area, but haven’t been able to find much info on it online, do you have any info or suggestions to point me in the right direction for this fishery? Love your website and books!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      September 5, 2018 at 7:51 am

      Daaron: You can’t in the Bay. They live deep, like 300 feet down or so. They are catchable offshore though.

      Reply
      • Avatar for John BJohn B says

        June 20, 2021 at 11:50 am

        We have spot shrimp in the Puget sound area of Washington state. Not sure how deep the Indians catch them though. Our friends give us leftover live spot shrimp that they don’t have enough of for exporting. We just received 4 pounds a few days ago .

  14. Avatar for Karen KingKaren King says

    September 4, 2018 at 12:02 pm

    Thanks Hank for the spot prawn info. Reminds me of the fun and laughs my boys got when taught by my aunt to catch crawdads from the irrigation ditch with a piece of bacon attached to a string. Both are fathers now and I wonder if they have ever shared this memory with the grand kids.

    Reply
  15. Avatar for Lynn RothwellLynn Rothwell says

    September 4, 2018 at 8:51 am

    Wow, they look fabulous. I can taste them from here. Thanks for the pictures, so good

    Reply
  16. Avatar for Robert McLaughlinRobert McLaughlin says

    September 4, 2018 at 8:37 am

    I always enjoy your articles. Thank you for the energy you use to do everything you need produce.

    How can a person purchase these shrimp if they don’t live near the Gulf?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      September 5, 2018 at 7:53 am

      Robert: You can buy spot prawns online, I know that.

      Reply

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Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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