Equipment
Ingredients
Prawns & Marinade
- 400 g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left on
- 15 ml tamari soy sauce
- 10 ml toasted sesame oil
Aromatics & Vegetables
- 30 ml neutral cooking oil
- 15 g fresh garlic, minced
- 15 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
- 5 g bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced
- 150 g red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 100 g snow peas, ends trimmed and tough strings removed
Sauce & Garnish
- 15 ml tamari soy sauce
- 15 ml chili oil
- 20 g green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 575 kcal
- Protein
- 53 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 2144 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 124 mg
- Calcium
- 24 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 13 mg
- Phosphorus
- 41 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 32 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 22 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, toss the raw prawns with the first portion of tamari and the toasted sesame oil. Wash your hands, cutting board, and all surfaces thoroughly after handling the raw seafood to prevent cross-contamination. Allow the prawns to marinate at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Place a wok over high heat. Add the neutral cooking oil and heat until shimmering and almost smoking. A drop of water flicked into the oil should sizzle and evaporate instantly.
Carefully add the marinated prawns to the hot wok in a single layer to ensure proper browning. Sear for 1 to 2 minutes per side until they turn opaque pink and reach a safe internal temperature of 63°C/145°F. Remove the prawns immediately and set them aside on a clean plate.
Reduce the heat slightly to medium-high. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and sliced bird's eye chilies to the remaining oil in the wok. Stir continuously for 30 seconds until highly aromatic, ensuring the garlic does not burn and turn bitter.
Increase the heat back to high. Add the sliced red bell pepper and prepared snow peas. Stir-fry rapidly using a spatula for 2 minutes, tossing frequently until the vegetables are vibrant and crisp-tender.
Return the cooked prawns to the wok along with any resting juices that accumulated on the plate. Pour in the remaining tamari and the chili oil. Toss everything together vigorously for 1 minute until well coated in the sauce and fully heated through.
Remove the wok from the heat. Scatter the thinly sliced green onions over the stir-fry. Plate immediately and serve while piping hot, ideally accompanied by steamed jasmine rice or noodles.
Chef's Notes
- Mise en place is absolutely critical for this recipe. A stir-fry moves incredibly fast, so having every ingredient measured, chopped, and positioned by the stove before you turn on the heat will guarantee success.
- Leaving the tails on the prawns is not just an aesthetic choice; the shells contain high concentrations of savory compounds that enhance the flavor of the cooking oil as they sear.
- To achieve a true restaurant-quality wok hei (breath of the wok) at home, dry your prawns exceptionally well with paper towels before marinating. Excess moisture lowers wok temperature and leads to steaming rather than searing.
- Adjust the heat level by altering how you prep the bird's eye chilies. Slicing them whole retains maximum heat, whereas halving and discarding the seeds and white membranes will provide floral chili flavor with significantly less burn.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. Seafood degrades quickly in quality.
Reheating: Warm gently in a pan over medium-low heat until just heated through. Do not microwave, as this will overcook the prawns and make them rubbery.
Troubleshooting
Prawns have a tough, rubbery texture
Cause: The seafood was cooked for too long or left in the wok while the vegetables cooked
Fix: Cannot be fixed once fully overcooked. Slice thinly to mask texture if serving in a salad later.
Prevention: Remove prawns the moment they turn pink and opaque, returning them only at the very end to warm through
Garlic turned bitter and dark brown
Cause: Wok was too hot when the aromatics were added, or they were left unattended
Fix: If caught early, immediately add the vegetables to drop the pan temperature. If fully blackened, wipe out the wok and restart the aromatics.
Prevention: Lower the heat slightly before adding aromatics and keep them moving constantly with your spatula
Vegetables are mushy instead of crisp
Cause: The wok lost its heat, causing the vegetables to steam in their own juices rather than fry
Fix: Cannot be fixed once structural integrity is lost
Prevention: Ensure wok is extremely hot, cook in batches if necessary, and avoid overcrowding the pan
Cultural Context
Stir-frying (chao) is a fundamental Chinese cooking technique developed over millennia as an incredibly fuel-efficient way to prepare food. Cooking delicate proteins like seafood quickly over blistering high heat preserves their natural snap and sweetness while infusing them with wok hei, the complex, slightly smoky flavor imparted by a properly seasoned hot wok.
