From pond to plate

Big prawns. Hot fire. Not much else.

Fresh giant freshwater prawns do not need to be hidden under a complicated recipe. Their size makes them ideal for splitting, grilling and serving as the center of the plate.

Split giant freshwater prawns cooking on a grill

Cook them like something special.

Think somewhere between the sweetness of shrimp and the substantial bite of lobster.

Split them lengthwise, brush with butter or olive oil, season simply and cook shell-side down over a hot grill. Finish the flesh briefly over the heat, then serve immediately with lemon.

The heads and shells are valuable too: roast them for stock, enrich a bisque, or build a deeply flavored sauce for rice or pasta.

Three good starting points

Fire & butter

Split prawns, melted butter, garlic, lemon, salt and a hard sear.

Low-country style

Whole prawns with corn, potatoes and sausage, seasoned generously and shared outside.

Prawn stock

Roasted heads and shells simmered gently with aromatics—the foundation for risotto, bisque or sauce.