Their various nicknames – prawn-killer, pissing shrimp, sea locust, thumb splitter among them – obviously weren’t dreamed up with marketing in mind, but mantis prawns have their dedicated admirers. Chef Chase Kojima, of Sydney’s Sokyo and Kiyomi on Queensland’s Gold Coast, is a fan and snaps up any mantis prawns Sydney fish supplier Narito Ishii can get his hands on.
“It’s traditionally eaten as sushi – you get it live, boil it, peel it, and then roast the shells to make tsume (a sweet teriyaki-style sauce made from soy, mirin, sake and sugar),” says Kojima.
Dan Hong (of Mr Wong and Ms G’s) says mantis prawns are only occasionally available in Sydney, as a by-catch of eastern king prawns. “They’re very perishable out of the water – only the big ones are worth eating because there’s not much meat on them, just a thin strip,” says Hong.
Try mantis prawns with our prawn recipes.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Everything you should know about Passata to unlock its full potential
Native ad body.
