The Prawns with Black Bean Sauce My Dad's Made 100,000 Times
Why this recipe
Most prawns with black bean sauce recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 60+ years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 94.8K views, 1.9K likes on YouTube.
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:
- Website: https://www.KikkomanUSA.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KikkomanChineseUSA (Kikkoman 萬字在美)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kikkomanusa_chinese/ (Kikkoman 萬字在美)
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Ingredients
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!
Instructions
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
Made with love ❤️
We started Made With Lau to celebrate Cantonese culture and honor the legacy of our wonderful parents, Jenny and Chung Sun Lau.
Our hope is that these recipes and stories help you spread the joy, love, and nostalgia that I felt growing up.
