Grilled Prawns with Fresh Coriander

This is a stripped-down, elegant take on grilled prawns that leans on Chinese aromatics rather than butter or heat to do the heavy work. A quick soy, rice wine, and sesame oil marinade sets the flavor base, then the shrimp go under the broiler (or on the grill) for just five minutes total.

The bright cilantro-ginger-rice vinegar dipping sauce is the real star. No oil, no sugar, just fresh coriander chopped fine with pungent ginger and a splash of tangy rice vinegar. It cuts through the richness of the sesame-marinated shrimp and makes each bite taste like it just came off a Hong Kong street cart.

Prawns cook fast, and that’s the whole trick. Three minutes under the broiler on one side, two on the other, and you pull them the moment the flesh turns opaque. Any longer and they tighten into rubber.

Chef Tips

• Split the shrimp partially along the back and remove the digestive vein, this opens them up to curl into pretty butterflies under the heat.
• Pat the shrimp completely dry after peeling, wet shrimp steam instead of searing and won’t develop any char under the broiler.
• Don’t marinate longer than 10 to 15 minutes, the soy sauce salt will start to cure the shrimp and turn them mealy.
• Preheat the broiler fully, shrimp need intense direct heat to caramelize the marinade before overcooking.
• Mince the cilantro right before mixing the sauce, the volatile oils fade within an hour of chopping.

Variations

• Add a minced Thai chili or red pepper flakes to the dipping sauce for heat.
• Swap prawns for scallops or squid rings, both take the same marinade beautifully.
• Toss with thin rice noodles and shredded cucumber for a cold noodle bowl version.