Steamed Prawns In Evaporated Milk

Running short on time? Try this easy to whip up dish that you can make using your microwave!

A ten-minute dish that tastes like much more work than it is. The evaporated milk sounds odd and is the entire point: it makes a light, savoury, faintly sweet sauce that clings to the prawns without the heaviness of cream.

What you need

Serves 3 to 4 with rice

500g large prawns, shell on: see below on why
150ml evaporated milk
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2cm ginger, julienned
1 stalk spring onion, cut into lengths, white and green parts separated
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
1 tsp light soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp neutral oil
White pepper
1 red chilli, sliced (optional, leave out if children are eating)

Method

Prepare the prawns. Trim the feelers and legs, and cut down the back through the shell to devein. Leaving the shell on keeps them juicy and adds flavour to the sauce. Worth the messier eating.
Arrange on a heatproof plate in a single layer. Scatter over the ginger, garlic and the white parts of the spring onion.
Mix the sauce: evaporated milk, soy sauce, sugar, wine if using, a good pinch of white pepper. Pour it over.
Steam over high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on size. Stop as soon as they turn opaque and curl into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked.
Heat the oil until shimmering and pour it over the top. It lifts the aromatics and gives the sauce a gloss.
Scatter the spring onion greens and chilli and serve immediately, with rice to catch the sauce.

Notes

Don’t substitute fresh milk. It splits under steam. Evaporated milk is stable, so the dish uses it.
Coconut milk works as a dairy-free version, though it’s a different and heavier dish.
Overcooked prawns are the only real failure here. Two minutes too long turns them rubbery and no sauce recovers that. Take them out slightly early. They carry on cooking on the plate.
Frozen prawns are fine. Thaw fully and pat dry, or they’ll water down the sauce.
Shell off if you prefer, but reduce the steaming time by a minute or two.

Serving it to children and in pregnancy

Shellfish allergy is one of the more common serious allergies here, and reactions can be severe. Never assume with a guest’s child, ask.
Introducing shellfish to a baby: from around six months, thoroughly cooked, finely chopped, and on its own so any reaction is attributable. Current guidance is to introduce allergens early instead of delaying them, but speak to your doctor first if your child has severe eczema or a known food allergy.
Cut into small pieces for young children. Whole prawns are the wrong shape and texture for a small airway.
Check for shell fragments before giving any to a child.
In pregnancy, thoroughly cooked prawns are fine. Prawns are low in mercury. They must be properly cooked, opaque throughout, and it’s raw or undercooked seafood that should be avoided.
Leave the chilli out of the portion for small children rather than making a second dish.

Frequently asked questions

Why evaporated milk instead of fresh milk or cream?

Evaporated milk is stable under steam, while fresh milk splits. It also gives a lighter sauce than cream, faintly sweet and savoury, that coats the prawns without weighing them down.

How long do you steam prawns?

Six to eight minutes over high heat, depending on size. Stop as soon as they turn opaque and curl into a loose C. A tight O means they’re overcooked. Take them out slightly early, since they continue cooking on the plate.

Should I leave the shells on?

Yes, if you don’t mind the messier eating. Shells keep the prawns juicy and add flavour to the sauce. Cut down the back through the shell to devein. If you shell them first, reduce the steaming time by a minute or two.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Coconut milk works in place of evaporated milk. It makes a heavier, distinctly different dish, but a good one.

Can I eat prawns during pregnancy?

Yes, thoroughly cooked. Prawns are low in mercury and the concern is raw or undercooked seafood, not prawns as such. Make sure they’re opaque throughout.

When can babies eat prawns?

From around six months, thoroughly cooked, finely chopped and offered on its own so any reaction can be attributed. Guidance now favours introducing allergens early instead of delaying, but speak to your doctor first if your child has severe eczema or a known food allergy. Check carefully for shell fragments.

Quick recap

Prawns on a plate, ginger and garlic on top, evaporated milk poured over, six to eight minutes of steam, hot oil at the end.

Overcooking is the only way to ruin it. Loose C, not tight O.

Ask about shellfish allergy before serving it to anyone else’s child.