Well Seasoned Blog

BC Spot Prawns – one of our favorite seasonal foods fresh from the waters off the coast of Vancouver Island. BC Spot Prawns are best known for their sweet delicate flavour and firm texture…they almost remind me a little of a sweeter version of lobster. They are reddish brown in color with horizontal stripes on the shell and very distinctive white spots along their abdominal segments. The season for these little beauties is relatively short, it literally starts right now and runs until about the first or second week in July. You can get frozen prawns all year but we think they are best when they are fresh. Fortunately for us the best fish monger in the Fraser Valley is right here in Langley – One Fish Two Fish (205 & Fraser Hwy.) http://www.1fish2fish.ca Heather Jenkins and her crew are excited to be receiving their first spot prawns of the season TODAY! Just in time for the weekend!

When you are buying your Fresh BC Spot Prawns you want to make sure they feel firm, that they have a few or no black spots and smell just like the sea. Your fresh prawns can be grilled, baked, sautéed or steamed, they only require 2 or 3 minutes cooking time and are done when they just turn pink. Over cooking will instantly toughen these little babies up so keep a very close eye.
One of my favorite ways to treat the Fresh BC Spot Prawns is to start by sauteing finely chopped shallots and a clove of minced garlic in a generous amount of butter. Sauté until the shallot is translucent and you can smell the fragrance of the garlic. Bring the temperature of the pan up and toss in the peeled & deveined prawns. Give them a quick sauté, throw in a handful of fresh herbs, season with a little salt & pepper to finish. Simple is best, you really want to enjoy the flavour of the prawn. Serve these up as a first course with some fresh bread and a cold glass of Cava. Cava is a beautiful sparkling wine from Spain – the perfect match for your garlic spot prawns. And as you sit on the deck or in your dining room licking the last little bit of butter off your fingers you can take great satisfaction in knowing you just enjoyed some wildly sustainable BC prawns that make a great contribution to our local economy. In fact – you should really celebrate that with another glass of Cava.
Cheers.