Steamed Garlic Butter Prawns with Vermicelli

As we enter the new decade in 2020 with Chinese New Year just around the corner, we’re sure you are wondering what special dish to bring for the potluck. To help you decide, we are launching our Top 8 CNY Dishes series where each dish is easy to prepare, yummy AND auspicious!

First up on the list, we have home cook Lilian Liong’s recipe for Steamed Garlic Butter Prawns and Vermicelli.

Prawns (虾) in Cantonese sounds like laughing（哈）hence, prawn dishes symbolise a happy year ahead that is full of smiles and laughter (哈哈大笑).  Some of the common CNY prawn recipes include the Cantonese Har Lok, Salted Egg Yolk Prawns, and Cereal Prawns.

But for 2020, how about serving a steamed prawn dish? Not only is this dish as delicious as the fried prawns dishes, it is healthier and fuss-free to prepare too!

Steamed Garlic Butter Prawns with Vermicelli

This glass noodle prawn recipe is cooked in the Chinese style of steaming and simply flavoured with Kwong Chong Thye’s Light Soya Sauce Superior that enhances its natural flavour.

KCT’s Light Soya Sauce Superior is top of the range and it is best used for steaming dishes. Aesthetic wise, this soya sauce adds a subtle hint of light brown on the prawns which makes it look very appetising. Taste wise, the soya sauce goes perfectly well with the melting garlic butter that elevates the taste of the dish to the next level!

So, if you are still thinking about what to cook for this CNY, we would highly recommend you to cook this dish and welcome happiness in this new year!

Kwong Chong Thye's Light Soya Sauce Superior

Here are the ingredients that you will need: big sea prawns, butter, garlic, oil, spring onion, coriander, vermicelli/glass noodle/tanghoon, and KCT’s Light Soya Sauce Superior.

The first step is to prepare the prawns.

Using kitchen scissors, trim away the whiskers, sharp edges, and legs of the prawns.

Cut off the rostrum (sharp part of the head)

Cut off the legs

Using a small knife, carefully slit the back of the prawns and remove the veins. #Tip: ensure the slits are deep but not cut all the way through so that the prawns can spread open and be easy to stuff later.

Slit the back of the prawns

Remove the vein

Place the prepare prawns in a bowl and add the soya sauce. Mix well and set aside.

Season the prawns with KCT Light Soya Sauce Superior

Next, prepare the garlic butter stuffing.

Add oil and half the garlic (four cloves) to a frying pan. Fry for 2 minutes or until fragrant but not browned.

Fry half of the garlic but do not brown them

Add the cooked garlic to a bowl and mix it with the other raw half of the garlic and butter. Mix well then set aside.

Add the cooked garlic, raw garlic, and butter to a bowl

Mix well with a spoon

Now it is time to stuff and steam the prawns.

In a steaming dish, arrange the soaked and drained vermicelli.

Place the vermicelli onto a steaming dish

Stuff the prawns one by one with the compound butter and lay them neatly on top of the vermicelli.

Fill the prawns with the compound garlic butter

Lay the stuffed prawns on top of the vermicelli

Place the dish in the steamer and steam for five minutes. #Tip: prawns cook quickly so be mindful of the dish so not to overcook the prawns!

Steam for five minutes

Lastly, garnish the dish.

Garnish the prawns with some spring onions and coriander. Heat up some oil in a frying pan until it is bubbling slightly and pour it over the prawns. Your Steamed Garlic Butter Prawns with Vermicelli is ready!

Garnish and drizzle with hot oil

Get the recipe here!