How do I cook prawns and shellfish?
Very short cooking times and the visual signals for each type, since shellfish goes from perfect to rubbery in seconds.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 2 min
- Safety
- caution
Short answer
Prawns are done the moment they curl into a loose C and turn opaque — usually two or three minutes total. A tight O means overcooked. Mussels and clams are done as soon as they open.
Shellfish proteins set very quickly and then tighten. There is almost no margin, which is why shellfish is more often ruined by an extra minute than by anything else.
Safety
What you'll need
- Prawns or shellfish
- Pan with a lid
- Garlic, butter, wine (optional)
Step by step
- Pat prawns dry and cook them in a hot pan.Wet prawns steam and stay pale. A hot pan and a dry surface gives colour, which is flavour.
- Cook prawns for about a minute a side.They are done when opaque and curled into a loose C shape. Curled tightly into an O means overcooked and rubbery.
- For mussels and clams, use a hot pan with a splash of liquid and a lid.Wine, cider or stock with garlic and shallot. Three to five minutes with the lid on.
- Stop as soon as the shells open.That is the doneness signal. Continuing to cook toughens them and there is no benefit.
- Discard the ones that do not follow the rules.Any open before cooking that will not close when tapped, and any still closed after cooking.
- Cook squid either very fast or very slowly.Under two minutes over high heat, or over 30 minutes braised. Anything in between is rubbery — this is a genuine rule.
- Use the cooking liquid.The liquor from mussels and clams is intensely flavoured. Reduce it with cream or butter and pour it back over.
Tips
- Frozen raw prawns are usually better than the thawed ones on a fish counter, which are often the same thing defrosted earlier.
- Cooked prawns only need heating through. Adding them at the start of a curry or stir-fry makes them tough.
- Keep the shells and heads from raw prawns — simmered briefly they make an excellent stock.
Common mistakes
- Cooking prawns until they curl into a tight O — That is the visual signal for overcooked. A loose C shape is right.
- Cooking already-cooked prawns again — They only need warming through. Cooking them a second time makes them rubbery.
- Cooking squid for five minutes — It is the worst possible duration — too long to be tender, too short to break down. Under two minutes, or over thirty.
Questions people ask
How do I know when prawns are cooked?
They turn opaque and curl into a loose C shape, usually within two or three minutes. If they curl tightly into an O, they are overcooked.
Should I throw away mussels that do not open?
Yes, discard any that stay closed after cooking, and any that were open before cooking and did not close when tapped.