Spot Prawns are Here Again

Plump and juicy spot prawns are here for a limited time

Spot prawn season has begun in Vancouver and prices are wildly all over the place.

These prawns have white dots on their tails, while their carapace (the prawn head exoskeleton) have red and white stripes.

Every year around 2,450 metric tonnes of spot prawns are harvested, and about 65 percent are caught between Vancouver Island and the mainland.

Over 90 percent of the catch are exported to Asia, and we get the rest locally, for about a six-week period.

Last week spot prawns were around $50 a pound at T&T Supermarket, which was quite the sticker shock, and it made us wonder how much restaurants would be charging.

So we were quite relieved to see the price cut almost in half when we went to T&T yesterday, at just under $26/lb. And many other people were buying spot prawns too.

We bought one and a half pounds of the prawns that were wrapped in butcher paper and then placed in a plastic bag. On the way home I could periodically hear their tails batting at the paper.

At home we placed them in a colander with a plate on top and put them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

The best way to retain their natural flavour is by poaching the prawns in boiling water seasoned with ginger and scallions to temper the fishy smell.

To prepare the spot prawns, using scissors we clipped off the long antennae, its legs and the bottom edge of the tails before cooking them in the boiling water.

After about a minute or so the prawns are cooked, their bodies curled up.

We also make a dipping sauce with soy sauce, a bit of sweetness (maple syrup or honey), oil and chopped scallions.

Remove the head and the rest of the shell, dip the prawn meat into the sauce and eat! The meat is firm and sweet!

Congee Not Just a Chinese Rice Porridge

Pine mushroom congee at Burdock & Co

What dish is a hug in a bowl? 

For me it's congee, rice porridge that takes hours to make and must be made with care by stirring it constantly otherwise it burns at the bottom of the pot.

When it's been simmering for a long time, the rice has broken down and the soupy mixture is thick and almost creamy in texture.

Arroz caldoso at Ando in HK with prawns

Bland homemade congee with a bit of salt is a good remedy for upset stomach, or dress it up with pickled cucumbers, pork floss, or chopped bits of pork, chicken or beef. 

While one might assume only the Cantonese make good congee, it's not true! Non-Chinese chefs make some tasty gourmet versions.

In Hong Kong, the Argentinian chef Agustin Balbi of the Michelin-starred Ando has a dish on his set menu called arroz caldoso, or rice. The traditional Spanish dish reminds him of his grandmother, a soupy rice that has flavours that are beautifully melded together.

And in Vancouver, chef Andrea Carlson of Michelin-starred Burdock & Co. has her own version of congee. We had some today at Harvest Community Foods, her small grocery store that serves a limited menu on the edge of Chinatown. Carlson's version is flavoured with a stock made from dashi that is incorporated with rice, and flavoured with chicken, ginger, thinly sliced scallop and spot prawns. 

Today's congee with chicken, scallop, spot prawn

The savoury combination was so delicious that we couldn't stop eating it, and it was perfect for today's showery weather that led to slightly cooler temperatures. 

The first time I had congee at Burdock & Co. was three years ago, flavoured with pine mushrooms, some cooked and some thinly shaved raw. So memorable!

Sweet and Juicy Spot Prawns are Back

Big, meaty spot prawns are back and they taste sweet

Spot prawn season is back!

I'm seeing how some restaurants are cooking these delicious plump and sweet prawns.

Some offer them sashimi style, charcoal grilled, deep-fried heads with kewpie mayo, ceviche, gnocchi, or in a prawn toast.

But one restaurant is offering spot prawn poutine: the "gravy" is made from the prawn bisque, together with cheese curds and thick-cut fries.

Sounds intriguing, and rich, but I'd rather have them like we did tonight -- spot prawns poached and then dipped in a soy sauce mix with oil, scallions, ginger, a touch of honey, and diluted with water. 

Hope we can have some more before the season ends in a few weeks!

Spot Prawns Are Back

BC Spot prawn season is on now! Sweet, juicy and plump!

Spot prawns are back!

It's that time of year when these prawns with a distinctive reddish brown body with white spots in their tails, and white horizontal bars on their carapace.

In British Columbia about 2,450 metric tonnes of the spot prawns are harvested annually, about 65 percent of which are caught in between Vancouver Island and the mainland.

Fresh spot prawns with white dots on their tails

Ninety percent of the haul is frozen and exported overseas to Asia. The rest are enjoyed here, with some sold in supermarkets, others in restaurants.

When cooked, the meat has a sweet taste and is perfect when boiled in their shells and then when the meat is extracted, dip it in some diluted soy sauce with ginger and it's even better.

The season is short, about six to eight weeks, so be sure to try some soon!