Poached Prawns in Young Coconut Juice

Prawns are very versatile ingredients that could be used in different way of cooking methods such as deep-fried, steamed, grilled and etc. In Singapore the common way of eating live prawns would be steaming it with minced garlic or poached in cooking wine or herbs. But In Vietnam culinary this Poached Prawns in Coconut Juice (Tom Hap Nuoc Dua) is one of their common way of cooking live prawn which you could easily find in their ordering menu.

In Vietnam they usually used live river prawns for this dish and it is steamed in young coconut juice which is very simple and easy to be prepared.  And by soaking the prawns into the coconut juice it would also increases the sweet and delicious flavour of the dish. But for this recipe I trying using frozen prawns instead of fresh live prawns and it taste just as good as it is too.

Ingredients: (Serves 2 - 3)

1 Young Coconut
10 - 12 Medium Prawns

Dipping Sauces:
1 - 2 Small Red/Green Chilies, sliced
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
1 Tablespoon Fresh Thai Lime Juice
1/2 Tablespoon of Drinking Water

Method:

1. Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together and set aside for use.


These are some of the collage photos of the ingredients and preparation steps for this dish.

Method:
1. Slowly cut and remove the lid of the young coconut and pour the juice into a small saucepan. Set aside.
2. Next use a spoon carefully scrap down the flesh from the side of the shell and leave the flesh in it.
3. Bring the pot of coconut juice to boil on low heat while trimming get ready the prawns for cooking.
4. When the coconut juice comes to boil, add  in half of the prawns and let it simmer on medium heat for about 2 minutes or so till the prawns are cooked through.
5. Removed prawns on plate and repeat the 2nd batch of prawns.
6. After all the prawns are done, pour the coconut juice back into the shell and place the cooked prawns hanging around the top of the shell. (refer to the photo above)
7. Served immediately with dipping sauce.


With Chinese New Year around the corner and the increasing of seafood prices during pre-festive season perhaps you can consider getting a box of this new CP Frozen Raw Head-On Shell-On Shrimp. It is packed using only the fresh and superior quality of live shrimps that are flash-frozen to a temperature lower than -18 degree for safety consuming.
Retail Price: S$6.95 per box (about 20 - 25 Size L Prawns)


Even though I used frozen prawns for this recipe but surprisingly the end-result still turns out well too. The prawns are crunchy when bites and the sweetness and aroma of the young coconut juice definitely brings up the taste of this dish. Just to share in  Vietnam culture they only dipped the prawns in the coconut juice without drinking the soup but for me I think the juice itself is rather fragrant and with that extra sweetness from the cooked prawns. I think perhaps by adding some cooked rice vermicelli this could turn out to be a great one dish meal too.