Tiger prawns are large and flavoursome. Their majestic red striping makes for impressive presentation and they are often the choice of top hotels and restaurants.

Grilling, barbecuing or flambeing tiger prawns in their shell are among the most popular cooking methods, as are pan- and deep frying. It is important to note that prawns cook quickly and that overcooking may cause the flesh to become tough. When cooking, add them to the heat as late as possible.

Tiger prawns are popular as garlic prawns. Their flavour will be enhanced by marinating in olive oil, lemon juice and lashings of garlic for one hour to tenderise and par-cook the flesh.

For a spectacular dish, flambe these prawns with Australian liqueur brandy and add the juice and zest of orange.

Flavour Medium

Oiliness Low to Medium

Moisture Moist

Texture Medium to Firm

Flesh Colour Translucent when raw and white to pink with pinkish bands when cooked. Farmed prawns are more distinctly marked than wild prawns and exhibit a bright red colouration when cooked.

Price Tiger prawns are high-priced prawns. Price depends upon grade larger tiger prawns are higher priced than smaller tiger prawns.

Edibility Flesh and roe. Head sections are eaten in Asian dishes but for the purposes of food safety are best avoided.

Suggested Wines

A zesty and youthful Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect accompaniment for garlic prawns because it tames down the natural prawn oiliness and the contribution from butter or cooking oils.

Try some of the racy and understated Sauvignon Blancs from Margaret River, or those ever-so-elegant Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends from the south-west of Western Australia.

The tiger prawns with tomatoes, chilli, coriander and cornbread suggested by Philip Johnson of ecco in Brisbane are superbly matched with South Australian Verdelho.

NUTRITION FACTS

per 100g of raw product

Kilojoules	399 (95 Calories)
Cholesterol	121 mg
Sodium	185 mg
Total fat (oil)	0.8 g
Saturated fat	36% of total fat
Monounsaturated fat	23% of total fat
Polyunsaturated fat	41% of total fat
Omega-3, EPA	39 mg
Omega-3, DHA	49 mg
Omega-6, AA	45 mg

COOKING IDEAS

Grill/barbecue	Steam/microwave	Deep Fry
Shallow Fry	Poach	Raw

IMPORTANT FEATURES

When Caught

Black tiger prawn: harvested year round from farms (rarely caught in the wild)

Brown & grooved tiger prawns: caught year round, with peak supplies from February through May.

Habitat Saltwater

Recovery Rate Meat (deveined): 44% of total weight, Meat (not deveined): 46% of total weight

Headless shell on: 64% of total weight

Tiger Prawn Research

FRDC provides a comprehensive search of the latest research papers and images on Tiger Prawn

Remarks

Larger tiger prawns are particularly sought after for Japanese cuisine.

Imports South-east Asia: various products (mostly black tiger prawn and mostly frozen) including uncooked and cooked, head on and head off, cutlets, and crumbed

Common Size 17 to 18 cm body length

Grading Grading can vary by supplier and region.