Finished dish photo of Salt-Grilled Prawn

Salt-Grilled Prawn

I personally think salt grilling is a technique that perfectly embodies the concept of 'less is more.' Under the influence of coarse salt and high heat, the shrimp meat becomes firm, hearty, and chewy. There's no need for excessive seasoning, not even oil or water. This simple salt grilling method preserves the natural salty freshness of the shrimp entirely. This dish, 'Salt-Grilled Big Tiger,' is my personal favorite. The shrimp shell turns slightly white and emits a unique umami aroma, with crispy shrimp legs that could even make a great snack with some drinks—though the drinks are just imaginary on my part.

Ingredients

Tiger shrimp4 pieces (other large shrimp varieties like king prawns or jumbo prawns are also suitable; meatier ones are preferred)
Coarse saltEnough to fill the baking pan, ideally enough to cover the shrimp
GingerA small piece
Freshly ground black pepperOptional
LemonOptional

Steps

1

Prepare the ingredients; clean the fresh shrimp (if there are any impurities in the shrimp head, scrape them out for cleaning; remove any visible shrimp veins). Line the baking tray with parchment paper and spread enough coarse salt on it.

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2

Pat the shrimp dry with kitchen paper and marinate with a little grated ginger for 10 minutes. (Given that tiger shrimp are relatively large, they maintain a visually appealing straight posture after grilling. For this, you can insert a bamboo skewer into each shrimp during this step. If you prefer their natural curve or plan to peel and eat them right away, feel free to skip this step.)

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3

Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F). Place the baking tray with coarse salt into the oven to preheat for about 9 minutes.

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4

Remove the baking tray, place the prepared shrimp on the coarse salt, and cover them with a portion of the salt. Coarse salt cools down quickly, so work fast. Keep the oven preheating while you work.

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5

Put the prepared tray into the oven, on the middle rack, at 220°C (428°F) for 11–12 minutes, adjusting based on the total amount and size of the shrimp.

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6

After grilling, use a small brush to sweep away excess salt particles and plate the shrimp. You can garnish with herbs (like parsley or rosemary), sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper, zest a little lemon peel, or add a touch of lemon juice for serving.

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Cooking Tips

1. Shrimp meat may shrink slightly after grilling, so it’s recommended to choose large shrimp (like tiger shrimp) for their meaty firmness, which makes them more satisfying. If you're using regular sea shrimp, try to select larger ones as smaller shrimp may appear deflated after grilling. 2. Coarse salt cannot be substituted with fine salt, as it dissolves too easily, potentially making the shrimp overly salty. 3. Use a small brush to remove salt grains before eating. 4. After grilling, you can save the remaining coarse salt by removing the wet, clumped portions and reusing it once more. However, due to the high grilling temperature, the salt becomes overly dehydrated and may turn yellow; we do not recommend reusing it more than twice.