Fresh Vs Frozen: How To Choose The Best Prawns For Cocktail Recipes
A very versatile seafood that can be used to prepare lots of stunning appetisers for any dinner party or cocktail night, prawns are widely incorporated into many culinary feasts for their sweet taste and ability to take in lots of flavour. The crustaceans have also made it into the rosters of many mixologists who often dabble with prawns as a crucial ingredient in making cocktails. A shrimp cocktail can be relished not only as an appetiser but also as a drink carrying a pleasing buzz that is perfect for a night of drinking and merrymaking.
Yet, even as prawns can be cooked quickly and efficiently to extract maximum taste from this seafood, there are many crucial steps involved in sourcing and preparing shrimp to ensure that it is up to the mark. This means being careful while separating the head and shell from the body of the crustacean as well as deveining shrimp to get rid of the digestive tract which can be quite unpleasant if left behind in the prawns. And then there is the tussle between choosing fresh and frozen prawns depending on availability and the dishes you prepare.
Fresh Vs Frozen
This is a debate that arises primarily when both fresh and frozen prawns are available in the market. While the frozen delights can be bought all year round, fresh prawns are difficult to find during monsoons. This is the breeding season for fish and they are best left to their devices at this time so there is fresh catch available in winter and spring months. During this time, frozen prawns are the ones to opt for and can be readily bought from your local grocery store which sells seafood.
Pre-cleaned frozen prawns can be used to prepare those concoctions which require less textural intervention such as stocks or sauces as they are definitely a more convenient alternative. However, make sure you pay as much attention to defrosting and washing them so they are clean and ready for cooking.
Using fresh prawns is perhaps the most ideal option when you are stir frying, shallow frying or lightly tossing the crustaceans in butter and garlic before adding them to cocktail recipes. Fresh prawns have better structural integrity and a lesser risk of breaking into smaller pieces once placed on the flame. This is useful especially when you are working with tiger prawns or king prawns because their size requires a little bit of skill to cook them through and if frozen prawns break down, it can create a mess in the pan.
In Cocktail Recipes
Many times, shrimp sauce is turned into a cocktail dressing to elevate the tangy, sweet and slightly sour qualities in your drink. Flavourful shrimp sauce made from prawns blended with lime juice and herbs adds a lot of freshness and zing into a cocktail concoction too, making it a sought after ingredient when you want to put a creative spin on your drinking hour.
At such times, frozen prawns can come in handy because of their quick availability and if they are pre-cleaned, you can also save up on time prior to an impromptu gathering. Frozen prawns can quickly be washed and blended with all the necessary ingredients to prepare a tasty shrimp sauce that can be mixed with a Ketel One Premium Distilled Vodka to craft a very innovative cocktail mix.
On the other hand, if you want to go the traditional route and prepare a shrimp cocktail in which the crustacean rests on the side of the glass while a delicious drink is housed inside, you might want to opt for fresh catch that can deliver maximum flavour with light seasoning.
So, the next time you want to host a cocktail party featuring shrimp, make sure you weigh your options depending on the recipes you plan to concoct and check for seasonal availability. You can then settle this long standing debate between fresh and frozen prawns, both of which can infuse your cocktail hour with lots of mouth watering flavours.
