The Perfect Prawns

Published on Tuesday, June 3, 2008, by Meredith Arthur, Eric Slatkin, and Blake Smith / Edit Post

The Perfect Prawns

By Meredith Arthur, Eric Slatkin, and Blake Smith

When asked for his perfect dish, LA Times food writer Russ Parsons knew his answer immediately: the salt-roasted spot prawns at Providence restaurant. Here he describes what makes this dish so sublime. (And in the June 4, 2008, edition of the Times he took a closer look at these crustaceans.)

The unparalleled. The best in show. We call it The Perfect: our video series on how something so very good gets to be that way.

ALLThe Perfect
POST A COMMENT |15 Comments

COMMENT

  • I'm really excited to eat at Providence when we're on CHOWtour.
    http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/713306?tag=main_body;topic-713306

  • Perhaps one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen. Seriously? Cutting them up while they're still alive? I eat meat, though I'm no fan of prawns or shrimp, but that's just unsettling and seems needlessly cruel.

  • From Gastronomer on June 27, 2009
    http://gastronomyblog.com/
    The prawns arrived on a rolling cart, drowning in a sea of 400 degree salt and rosemary sprigs. A kind French gentleman prepared the dish tableside, serving the prawns simply with French cold pressed olive oil and lemon wedges. The tails were tender and sweet, while the heads were juicy and succulent.

  • I don't think he mentioned at what temp the salt/oven was set on. Any ideas, or suggestions?

  • My mouth watering when i saw the prawns video. Where can i get them prawns fresh and wild caught? Please advise.

  • Important thing with shellfish is to get the fresh ones. With prawns I usually get them alive and steam in a bit of wine and green onions.

  • Captainspirou, he says "collects" lots of salt, not "contains".

  • ~1:00 he says he cuts off the swimmerets because they contain lots of salt and make it unpalatable. Then he precedes to cover the shrimp in salt.

    I'm not saying he's wrong. I just find it funny.

  • Looks great!
    Spot prawns out of the Pacific North West are absolutely the best! Anybody interested, I've got some great ways to cook prawns!

  • Speaking of which...Are the catfish farms here in America safe?

  • Of course can I also prepare Langoustines the same way?
    The Langoustines from scotland are Beautiful by the Way.

    Cheers.

  • Good Info EliP, The shrimp farms in Vietnam and China are Waste dumps!
    Im from the Carribean, and i was wondering if I could prepare our local Crawfish the Same way? Please advise(anybody).

  • Thank you, EliP. Important information.

  • I'm allergic to these little brats, but I have to say I would be willing to get in trouble for a taste of these ones... I'm salivating... awesome job video trio!

  • This is interesting and informative, but eaters should be aware that not all shrimp is as delicious (or sustainable) as spot prawns.

    In fact, shrimp is the most popular seafood among Americans, but many people do not know that most of the shrimp we consume (90%) is imported from countries like Thailand, China, and Ecuador. Imported shrimp comes at high costs to the environment, communities,...+READ

    This is interesting and informative, but eaters should be aware that not all shrimp is as delicious (or sustainable) as spot prawns.

    In fact, shrimp is the most popular seafood among Americans, but many people do not know that most of the shrimp we consume (90%) is imported from countries like Thailand, China, and Ecuador. Imported shrimp comes at high costs to the environment, communities, and health. Foreign shrimp farms heavily pollute the land and waterways and are the #1 destroyer of mangrove forests, which act as nurseries for many fish and protect coastlines from erosion and storm damage. Shrimp farms are also associated with child labor, human trafficking and other labor abuses, and the shrimp they produce may contain residues, pesticides, antibiotics, and other filth.

    When buying shrimp and prawns, make sure that they are from the U.S. or Canada. Varieties such as Oregon pink shrimp, coonstripe and sidestripe shrimp, shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico, and of course, spot prawns are all wild varieties from well-managed fisheries.

    For more information about the problems with imported shrimp and good alternatives, visit www.shrimpless.wordpress.com, the blog of a new campaign: Shrimp Less, Think More!-COLLAPSE