How to make Prawn Stock

This is an easy guide on making a versatile, delicious pot of prawn stock.

Next time you’re peeling prawns, keep all those shells and heads! They make into a very easy and delicious prawn stock. Prawn stock can be used to make plenty of dishes: Hokkien Noodles, Singapore Laksa, Prawn Mee, Tom Yum Goong as well as in non-Asian cuisine, such as Seafood Risotto.

You don’t have to use them at one go. I have a ziploc bag in my fridge where I would toss prawn heads and shells in as and when. Once I’m ready to use them – or if the bag gets full – I simply defrost it and they’re ready to go.

While you can use the prawn heads and shells, I almost always use just the heads. I use a lot of prawns, so I can easily collect the heads which store so much more flavour than the shells.

Cooking off the Liquids

The most important step would be in the initial frying process before adding water to form a stock.

Add oil to the pot, and once hot, add the prawn heads and shells. Stir fry the prawn heads until all the liquid has been drawn out, and evaporates. This might take a while, and I implore you to be patient!

After a few stir fries, and the prawn heads might still have a wee bit liquid foaming out… Patience! This is still not it.

Continue to stir fry, until the liquid has completely evaporated.

There should be no fishy smell at all, and a roasted aroma – much like grilled prawns! – should waft through the kitchen. This is when the prawn heads are truly ready!

This is crucial to prevent a fishy tasting broth. Some prawn bits might even be slightly charred, this is fine. Of course, do not burn to a crisp. It’s important to continuously stir the prawn shells, so they do not get burnt.

Once you add water, give it a good stir. Scrape the bottom of the pot, to lift any charry, prawny flavour.

Tip: Squish prawn heads with a potato masher to squeeze out even more prawn essence into the broth. Alternatively, you can use your spatula to give the prawn heads a mashing.

How to Make a Basic Prawn Stock

For good prawn stock, all you need are: prawn heads and shells, and water. That’s it!

In this recipe I included ginger, onion and garlic. In actual fact, you don’t need these ingredients at all to have a nice, robust stock.

Garlic and onion are great alliums for flavour, and most kitchens would have these at the ready in their pantry. Ginger in general goes well with seafood. It especially helps to mitigate any fishiness too.

Sometimes I would add other ingredients as well, depending on what scrap ingredients I have in my fridge. To find out more about my scrap ingredient process, see my Chicken Stock recipe. If you want to level up your stock even more, cook it with other meats such as chicken bones. I incorporated chicken parts and feet with my prawn stock in my recipe for Hokkien Mee.

I used 2 litres of water to 600g worth of prawn heads. This resulted in a nice stock that is slightly diluted. This makes for a more versatile stock since prawn can be an overwhelming flavour. If you prefer a stronger, richer broth, simply cut down on the amount of water.

How long to boil the prawn heads?

Unlike other meat stocks like chicken or beef, you don’t have to stew these for long to get the maximum flavour.

I’ve read before that cooking it for too long might even result in loss of flavour – I personally have never experienced that but I usually limit my prawn stock cook time to no more than an hour.

How to Keep Prawn Stock?

Remove the prawn heads and shells, as well as the aromatics from the stock. Depending on what I’m feeling, I would simply use a slotted spoon to take them out. I do not mind fleshy prawn bits swimming (haha) around my stock at all. If I want a clearer stock, I would strain the prawn stock through a fine mesh strainer.

I always make enough to split into two portions. I keep one portion in my refrigerator, and the other portion in the freezer. This can keep for one week in the fridge, and up to one month in the freezer.

Practice discretion; if the stock smells off, discard.

Watch How to Make Prawn Stock

I don’t have a specific video on how to make prawn stock, but I made prawn stock in this Singapore Laksa recipe:

Recipes that Use Prawn Stock

These are just some some of the recipes that use prawn stock:

• Singapore Hokkien Mee
• The ULTIMATE Singapore Laksa Recipe
• Mee Siam with Gravy

How to make Prawn Stock

Recipe by Sha

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: Recipes

Servings

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Ingredients

• 600g Prawn Heads and Shells

• 2 litres Water

• Onion, halved

• 4-5 Garlic

• 1 inch Ginger

• 2-3 tbsps Cooking Oil

Directions

• Give prawn heads and shells a quick rinse. If there are any long feelers or legs, cut them off for easier handling.
• Add oil to a pot and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the prawn heads and shells. Stir fry the prawn heads and shells over medium heat until it turns completely orange.
• The prawn heads and shells will begin to have liquids drawn out. Continue stirring and allow the liquid to completely evaporate. When the liquid has evaporated, the prawn heads should have a dry but glossy exterior. There might even be some mild charring happening; this is ok. There should be a roasted fragrance as well.
• Once the liquid has cooked off, add ginger, onion and garlic. Give a quick stir fry to combine and pour in water next.
• Give a quick stir to combine. With a spatula, press onto the prawn heads to release more prawn essence into the broth. Alternatively, use a potato masher, for easier pressing.
• Let the come up to a rolling boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to a simmer. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
• Prawn stock is done! Run mixture through sieve to remove the prawn heads and shells.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @nomadetteats on Instagram