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a e
March 22, 2009 thesundaytimes
This is the
actual size of a
3009 prawn.
-Is bi er /f
better?
/
Tourists might be drawn to
giant prawns but local
foodies say small is juicier,
sweeter and more tender
igger is not always better.
Discerning diners know that
when it comes to seafood, bigger
specimens do not necessarily
taste better.
In fact, most of the chefs, re taurateurs
and foodies lifeStyle interviewed say they
would skip ordering the gigantic prawns
popular with tourists at Newton Food Centre.
The shellfish have been in the news all
week after newspapers reported that a
group of American tourists were charged
$491 for a meal at Tanglin Best BBQ Seafood. They had ordered eight tiger prawns,
some crabs, half a steamed chicken and a
few bottles of beer.
At the centre of the dispute was the bill
for the prawns, which came to $239 about $30 a piece.
The tourists complained to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the National
Environment Agency (NEA) took up the
case. The agency has since ordered the stall
to shut down for three months from next
month.
But as Sam Leong, 43, corporate chef
and director of kitchens at the Tung Lok
Group, puts it: "The bigger prawns look gorgeous but the meat is tough."
Not to mention old. Tiger prawns live
up to three years and grow to about 400g.
As one prawn year is equal to 23 human
years, the giant prawn sitting on the grill is
about 69 years old in human terms.
B
Better to stick with younger prawns,
those interviewed said.
Housewife Yong Wai Na, 35, buys medium-sized prawns instead of the bigger ones
from the wet market.
"The smaller ones taste sweeter," she
says.
Food lover Oennis Wee, 56, chairman of
Oennis Wee Realty, buys prawns weekly
from a wet market in Bedok to steam and
also chooses the smaller ones over the big
ones.
"Prawns that are too big are not tasty as
the meat can be tough," he says.
There is another good reason to shun
big prawns.
Mr Kenneth Lim, 44, chairman of the
Ponggol Fi h Merchants Association and a
wholesaler who sells seafood to wet markets across Singapore, says that most consumers also prefer smaller prawns as they
are cheaper.
He says that the cost price of prawns
that weigh 400g is about $40 per kg.
"The medium-sized ones cost $15 to
$25 per kg so they are more affordable to
fishmongers who in turn sell to consumers," he says.
Even top chefs here recommend using
smaller prawns.
Chef Leong says that prawns weighing
about 40g each are the ideal size as the
meat is juicy and tender.
For steamed prawns, a dish that requires
the freshest specimens, Chan Kwok, 52,
masterchef at Orchard Hotel's Hua Ting restaurant, recommends using prawns that
weigh 30 to 50g.
Eric Teo, 45, executive chef at the Mandarin Oriental and president of the Singapore Chefs Association, says medium-sized
prawns that weigh about 40 to 45g "are in
their spring stage and have the sweetest
taste".
The food experts that lifeStyle spoke to
also say that the bigger the prawn, the older it is and this accounts for the tougher texture of the meat.
But while smaller is sweeter, larger
prawns can taste good if they are cooked
right.
Chef Chan says smaller prawns are
more suited for steaming while those that
weigh 100g to 150g are good for grilling as
there is more meat.
At the popular Jumbo Seafood restaurant chain, prawns that weigh about 140g
are barbecued or baked with cheese rather
than steamed.
Its executive chef, Ng Chong Guan, 44,
says: "Bigger prawns take a longer time to
cook so they are more suited for grilling as
the meat will still be juicy."
The small is beautiful rule also applies to
fish, especially popular choices such as
soon hock and garoupa.
Chef Teo says that for steamed fish, the
weight of the fish should not exceed 1.2kg
so the meat is still tender.
Ms Veronica Tan, 5 I, one of the partners of the Peach Garden chain, says the
restaurant usually serves soon hocks and garoupas that weigh between 600g and lkg
because the flesh is "finer and sweeter".
The restaurant will serve larger fish,
such as those weighing above lkg, only if
customers ask for them.
But when it comes to crabs, the reverse
is true.
The bigger the better and this is especially true of the Sri Lankan crabs that are popular with Singaporeans.
"A bigger crab doesn't necessarily mean
it is older," says Chef Ng. "Crabs get bigger
when they have more to eat."
Chef Teo adds: "Crabs taste better when
they are bigger as the meat is thicker and
hence juicier."
taysc:@sph.com.sg
That prawn could be 69 years old
Or Tan Swee Hee, 38, a lecturer and curator
of crustacea at the Raffles Museum of
Biodiversity Research, says the average
lifespan of a tiger prawn is about one to two
years and they can live to a maximum of
three years. One prawn year is equivalent to
about 23 human years.
300to400g
Age of prawn: About 27 to 36 months
Age in human years: About S2 to 69 years
Best way to cook it: Grill with garlic
100 01409
Age of prawn: About nine to 12.6 months
Age in human years: About 17 to 24 years
Best way to cook it: Saute, barbecue or
bake with cheese
30 to 60g
ST PHOTOS, LAU FOOK KONG
Prawns of different sizes require different styles of cooking to maximise flavours.
Age of prawn: About 2.7 to S.4 months
Age in human years: About five to 10.3
years
Best way to cook it: Steam or stirfry