REVERE FITNESS
All Recipes · High Protein 5 Minutes

Chinese Poached
Spot Prawns Low Calorie · High Protein

Serves 2–4  ·  REVERE Training Kitchen

Nutrition Per Serving

193

Calories

45.6g

Protein

0g

Carbs

1.2g

Fat

4 min

Prep

1 min

Cook

The Poach

Ingredients

  • — 2 lbs fresh live spot prawns
  • — 6 cups water
  • — 2 tbsp sea salt
01

Bring 6 cups of water and sea salt to a rolling boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

02

Once boiling, add the live spot prawns all at once. Poach for approximately 30 seconds — they're done the moment they turn pink and curl.

03

Use a ladle or tongs to transfer the cooked prawns immediately to a serving plate. Spread in a single layer so they stop cooking.

04

Serve immediately with chili soy dipping sauce and steamed white rice.

Pro Tips

01

Timing is everything

Spot prawns cook incredibly fast. Do not walk away — 30 seconds is all it takes. Any longer and they'll turn tough and rubbery. Pink = done.

02

Live is better

BC spot prawns are one of the best prawns in the world — sweet, delicate, and buttery. Use them live for the best flavour. Fresh-killed also works, but avoid pre-frozen if possible.

03

Single layer matters

Spreading prawns in a single layer on the plate stops the residual heat from continuing to cook them. Piling them will overcook the ones on the bottom.

Chili Soy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

  • — 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • — 1 tsp sesame oil
  • — 1–2 fresh red chilies, finely sliced
  • — 1 clove garlic, minced
  • — 1 tsp sugar (optional)
  • — 1 tbsp warm water
01

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust heat or salt. Serve in a small dish alongside the prawns.

Spot Prawns with Chili Soy Dipping Sauce

Serve With

Classic Pairing

Steamed jasmine or short-grain white rice. The neutral rice is perfect for absorbing the dipping sauce and letting the prawns shine.

Lower Carb Option

Skip the rice and serve with steamed bok choy or Chinese broccoli (gai lan). The macros on these prawns are already exceptional — 45g protein at under 200 calories.

Spot Prawn Guide

Wild B.C. spot prawns are known for their vibrant reddish-orange color with white stripes on the legs and distinctive white spots on the tail. Spot prawn season only comes for a limited short season — the harvest only lasts six to eight weeks in May. Spot prawns are trap caught off the Pacific Coast of North America from San Diego to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. They are sometimes referred to as Alaska spot prawns or "The Lobster of Alaska." Alaskan spot prawns have the highest quality prawn meat.

You can buy and pre-order these succulent prawns at your local grocery stores, Asian markets, or local spot prawn vendors. Frozen spot prawns are also available year round in Canada.

Spot prawns are high in amino acids, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, iodine, and astaxanthin antioxidants.

If you can't get fresh spot prawns, you can substitute with other varieties of shrimp like tiger shrimp with shells. When it is not live spot prawn season, large jumbo range size shrimp of 16 to 20 per pound (U-16/20) work well. Tiger shrimps are significantly larger compared to spot prawns — meaty and firm in texture, whereas spot prawns are delicate with a melt-in-your-mouth buttery, bouncy texture. Fresh shrimp are also great for grilling during barbecue season.

The black line on the back of the shrimp is the intestinal tract. It is more pleasant to eat if removed. Use a small paring knife and cut along the outer, thickest part of the back of the raw shrimp, then remove the vein.

The best way to preserve fresh live shrimp before cooking is to remove the head. Removing the heads helps maintain the freshness of the shrimp. Keep them in a container and cover with a bag of ice.

← Back to all recipes