Prawns with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蝦)

Learn how to make this umami-laden, quintessentially Cantonese seafood dish!

flodesk gif
Prep Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Yields
4 servings
YouTube Tutorial

A Recipe by Daddy Lau

My dad's been cooking Chinese food for over 50 years - as a kid fending for himself in Guangzhou, as the head chef of his own restaurant, and as a loving father in our home.

Hopefully, by learning this recipe, you'll get to experience some of the delicious joy we felt growing up eating his food!

- Randy

Experience layers upon layers of umami with this deliciously savory seafood dish!

Thank you, Kikkoman!

This recipe is brought to you in part by Kikkoman. My dad has been using Kikkoman flavors throughout his 50-year career as a chef, and it's a privilege to get to partner with them on such an iconic recipe, Prawns with Black Bean Sauce!

  • While proudly honoring my dad's 50-years-of-pro-cooking legacy, we're also celebrating 50 years of Kikkoman's expansion into brewing in the US.
  • 50 years ago, Kikkoman took a momentous leap of faith and jumped into brewing soy sauce in the US, while staying completely true to their traditional brewing method of using simple ingredients: water, soybeans, wheat, and salt.
  • For all these years, Kikkoman soy sauce has had an important place on the tables and in the hearts of home cooks and chefs alike.
  • Learn more about Kikkoman's history here: https://KikkomanUSA.com/homecooks/50-years-of-brewing/

You can learn more about Kikkoman and follow them on social media here:

Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!

Ingredients

Weight: US
oz
g
Volume: US
cup
mL
Servings
4

Main Ingredients

  • 1 lb prawn (

    or shrimp, jumbo or large size recommended

    )
  • 2 whole shallot
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1 oz red bell pepper
  • 0.50 oz white onion (

    yellow or red onions are also fine

    )
  • 0.50 oz ginger
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 4 tbsp oil

Seasonings

  • 1 tsp Kikkoman® Black Bean Sauce with Garlic (

    Amazon

    )
  • 1 tbsp Kikkoman® Oyster Sauce (

    Amazon​

    )
  • 1 tbsp Kikkoman® Soy Sauce (

    Amazon

    )
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper powder
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp Kikkoman® Sesame Oil (

    Amazon

    )

Prawns vs shrimp

Are shrimp and prawns the same? Well, there are actually 3 main differences:

  • Shrimp is mostly found in saltwater. Prawns are mostly found in freshwater.
  • In general, shrimp are smaller than prawns, but there can be large shrimp that are bigger than a typical prawn.
  • Prawns are more straight, and shrimp are more curled.

Regardless, they are comparable in taste and texture, so we often use them interchangeably in cooking. Today, we’re using prawns, but you can make this recipe with whatever is available to you.

Umami everywhere

We promised layers of umami, didn't we? Here they are!

Fermented black beans: If you want to really know classic Cantonese cuisine, you have to know fermented black beans, or 豆豉. For convenience and a smooth, hassle-free texture, we use jarred black bean sauce for this recipe.

Garlic: This flavorful aromatic is a superhero in cuisines all around the world. Oil and heat unlock its most umami, delicious compounds. It comes up not once but twice in our recipe! We mince fresh garlic and bloom it at the beginning of the stir-fry, as usual, but did you notice that it's also in the jar of Kikkoman® Black Bean Sauce that we use? Yes, double the garlic power!

Prawns: Like shrimp, crabs, lobster, and other seafood, prawns have a very natural, briny umami flavor. Use good quality prawns for the most refreshing umami flavor.

Look at you, you're an expert at layering flavors!

Step 1: Prepare prawns

Using kitchen shears, cut off half of each prawn (1 lb)’s head from the eyes forward, trimming off half of the head. Trim off the legs as well. This makes the prawns tidier for both a nicer look and a more convenient eating experience.

Cut the end of the tail at an angle to create a beautiful “phoenix tail”.

Devein each prawn with a toothpick, jabbing it through the back and pulling straight out.

Sprinkle cornstarch (2 tbsp) onto a plate so that it’s spread out evenly.

Coat every piece of prawn in the cornstarch. Be sure to get both sides, then gently shake off the excess. You want a thorough coat so that it will fry into a delicious crust, but too much excess cornstarch will burn. A thin, even coat is ideal!

Step 2: Prepare aromatics & other ingredients

Peel and mince the shallots (2 whole).

Slice the red bell pepper (1 oz) and white onion (0.50 oz) into thin strips. These crunchy vegetables will contribute to a juicy, refreshing bite in the dish’s overall texture!

Smash, peel, and mince the garlic (2 clove). Thinly slice the ginger (0.50 oz), then mince.

Step 3: Create sauce

In a separate bowl, prepare the sauce by combining black bean sauce (1 tsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), light soy sauce (1 tbsp), sugar (1 tbsp), white pepper powder (0.25 tsp), and Shaoxing wine (1 tsp). Give it a quick taste to see if you like it, or if it needs any adjustment.

Step 4: Pan-fry prawns

Heat a flat wok or frying pan on high heat. When it’s hot enough, add oil (3 tbsp) and quickly swirl to coat.

Turn the heat down to medium. Individually place each prawn down onto the pan, pulling them a little straighter as you put them down. You can nudge them a bit to arrange them nicely and make sure they don’t stick, but you should generally let them cook undisturbed so they can sear on that first side.

Add more oil (1 tbsp) along the edge of the pan. This will help the prawns pan-fry more fragrantly.

When the bottom side of the prawn turns red and the crust is golden brown, or about 2 minutes, flip each one over.

Cook on this side for another 2 minutes, or until it turns reddish-orange.

Step 5: Add other ingredients & sauce

Turn the heat to low and push the prawns to the edges of the wok.

Add the ginger, garlic, and shallots to the now-vacated middle. Cook until they get aromatic, or about 40 seconds.

Add the red bell peppers and onions to the middle as well. Cook for 20 seconds, then stir everything together with a spatula.

Push everything to the center of the wok and drizzle your pre-mixed sauce around the perimeter. This lets the sides of the wok heat the sauce as it flows down to the ingredients.

Turn the heat up to medium-high to help the sauce reduce and thicken. Toss all the ingredients with the sauce until everything is well-coated, or about 30-40 seconds.

Turn off the heat, drizzle sesame oil (1 tsp) for extra aroma and shine, and stir it in. Plate the prawns, making sure to scoop up all the delicious vegetables and aromatics, as well as the savory sauce. Enjoy!

FAQ

What are fermented black beans, and what do they taste like?

  • Fermented black beans are actually soy beans that have been fermented; the black color is a result of the fermentation process, rather than the original color of the bean.
  • They taste richly savory and deeply salty in that earthy-beany kind of way. We always match fermented black beans with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce to both brighten and complement their deep flavor. Cantonese cooks love using fermented black bean sauce on everything from briny seafood (check out Clams with Black Bean Sauce), to savory beef (check out Beef Chow Fun with Gravy), and dim sum specialties (check out Chinese Stuffed Peppers).

How do you choose good quality prawns?

  • In the US, all seafood is flash frozen at sea, so we actually recommend buying frozen prawns. The non-frozen prawns at the counter are actually frozen and thawed for display.
  • If you get a chance to choose, avoid pieces that look overly crushed, dehydrated, freezer-burned, or weirdly discolored. We recommend buying shell-on prawns or shrimp. In this recipe, we cook with the shell intact to preserve the natural juiciness and flavor, but if you decide to cook with the shell off, we still recommend buying shell-on, peeling at home, then cooking.

How do I keep from overcooking prawns or shrimp?

  • The great thing about prawns and shrimp is they'll turn red when it's time, just like a red traffic light. As soon as the shell turns color and the flesh is not that translucent gray, you can flip, plate, or move on to whichever step is next in the process. As you get more comfortable and confident in the kitchen, you'll get more used to watching for these visual cues.

Summary

Print Recipe
Made With Lau
madewithlau.com/recipes/prawns-with-black-bean-sauce
Prawns with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蝦)
Learn how to make this umami-laden, quintessentially Cantonese seafood dish!
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 35 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 1 lb prawn (

    or shrimp, jumbo or large size recommended

    )
  • 2 whole shallot
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1 oz red bell pepper
  • 0.50 oz white onion (

    yellow or red onions are also fine

    )
  • 0.50 oz ginger
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 4 tbsp oil

Seasonings

  • 1 tsp Kikkoman® Black Bean Sauce with Garlic (

    Amazon

    )
  • 1 tbsp Kikkoman® Oyster Sauce (

    Amazon​

    )
  • 1 tbsp Kikkoman® Soy Sauce (

    Amazon

    )
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper powder
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp Kikkoman® Sesame Oil (

    Amazon

    )

Step 1 - Prepare prawns

↑ Jump to details

Using kitchen shears, cut off half of each prawn (1 lb)’s head from the eyes forward, trimming off half of the head. Trim off the legs as well.

Cut the end of the tail at an angle to create a beautiful “phoenix tail”.

Devein each prawn with a toothpick, jabbing it through the back and pulling straight out.

Sprinkle cornstarch (2 tbsp) onto a plate so that it’s spread out evenly.

Thoroughly coat every piece of prawn in the cornstarch, then gently shake off any excess.

Step 2 - Prepare aromatics & other ingredients

↑ Jump to details

Peel and mince the shallots (2 whole).

Slice the red bell pepper (1 oz) and white onion (0.50 oz) into thin strips.

Smash, peel, and mince the garlic (2 clove). Thinly slice the ginger (0.50 oz), then mince.

Step 3 - Create sauce

↑ Jump to details

In a separate bowl, prepare the sauce by combining black bean sauce (1 tsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), light soy sauce (1 tbsp), sugar (1 tbsp), white pepper powder (0.25 tsp), and Shaoxing wine (1 tsp).

Step 4 - Pan-fry prawns

↑ Jump to details

Heat a flat wok or frying pan on high heat. When it’s hot enough, add oil (3 tbsp) and quickly swirl to coat.

Turn the heat down to medium. Individually place each prawn down onto the pan, pulling them straight as you put them down. Let them cook undisturbed so they can sear on that first side.

Add more oil (1 tbsp) along the edge of the pan. This will help the prawns pan-fry more fragrantly.

When the bottom side of the prawn turns red and the crust is golden brown, or about 2 minutes, flip each one over.

Cook on this side for another 2 minutes, or until it turns reddish-orange.

Step 5 - Add other ingredients & sauce

↑ Jump to details

Turn the heat to low and push the prawns to the edges of the wok.

Add the ginger, garlic, and shallots to the now-vacated middle. Cook until they get aromatic, or about 40 seconds.

Add the red bell peppers and onions to the middle as well. Cook for 20 seconds, then stir everything together with a spatula.

Push everything to the center of the wok and drizzle your pre-mixed sauce around the perimeter.

Turn the heat up to medium-high to help the sauce reduce and thicken. Toss all the ingredients with the sauce until everything is well-coated, or about 30-40 seconds.

Turn off the heat, drizzle sesame oil (1 tsp), and stir it in. Plate the prawns and all the delicious vegetables and aromatics, as well as the savory sauce. Enjoy!

Step 6 - Take pictures
Whip out your camera (1). Begin taking photos (1,000,000). Pick your favorites!
Step 7 - Share and tag us on Instagram @madewithlau #madewithlau!
Did you have fun making this recipe? We'd love to see & hear about it. (Especially my dad. He would be THRILLED!)

Enjoy!

We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.

Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.

Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.

Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.