BBQ prawns are easy to cook and are a typical Aussie dish for the barbeque. However, many people overcook them and they become rubbery and tasteless! Cook prawns quickly for a juicy, tender result.
You can buy prawns raw or already cooked. There are many different varieties available, including banana prawns, tiger prawns and endeavour prawns. However, the king prawn is the most popular for cooking on the barbeque, as they are big and meaty and easy to handle with BBQ tongs. King prawns do come in different sizes and grades, but standard sizes are available in fish shops and supermarkets. Prawns can be bought frozen or fresh, but if you buy them frozen remember that you can't refreeze them once they've thawed.
If you don't want the mess and hassle of peeling the prawns yourself, you can buy them already peeled. They are more expensive this way but sometimes the extra cost justifi es the effort of doing it yourself, especially if you need them ready in a hurry!
Prawn peelers, which de-vein and peel the prawns for you, are inexpensive and are available from kitchenware shops and department stores.Use the hotplate to cook prawns – once heated it cooks the prawns quickly and they retain their moisture better.Takes about 5 mins to prep about 10 - 20 prawns
To cook, BBQ prawns (Cooking time includes pre:heating BBQ hotplate), simply heat the hotplate for a few minutes on high, then turn the burners down to low heat and throw the prawns on. Cook them for 60–90 seconds (or 20 seconds if they've been pre-cooked), turning them two or three times, and then take them off the heat and serve immediately with lemon wedges. That's it!
