The 20-minute trick that makes them taste like they’ve just come off the boat.
Frozen prawns can be absolutely brilliant… if you thaw them properly.
Most people do one of two things:
- leave them on the bench (texture goes sad + risky), or
- run them under fresh water (and wash half the flavour down the sink).
My go-to is a quick sea-salt brine. It’s simple, fast, and it helps your prawns thaw juicy, firm and naturally sweet—not watery and bland.
Because when prawns are snap-frozen at sea, they’re locked in at their best. The brine just helps you bring them back to life the right way.
Chef Ian tip: I use Olsson’s Sea Salt Flakes for the brine because it’s clean and pure — it’s basically giving the prawns a gentle “ocean-style” thaw instead of washing their flavour away in fresh water.
The Quick Brine Thaw (Chef Ian’s method)
Ingredients
- 1 litre cold water
- 3 tbsp sea salt (Olsson’s Sea Salt Flakes are spot-on)
- Optional: 1 tsp sugar (gives a little sweetness boost)
- Optional: a handful of ice cubes (keeps it extra cold)
Method
- Make the brine
Dissolve the salt (and sugar if using) in the cold water. - Keep it cold
Add a handful of ice cubes if the day is warm or your kitchen runs hot. - Thaw the prawns
Add frozen prawns and submerge.- Small/medium prawns: 15–20 minutes
- Large prawns: 20–30 minutes
Give them a gentle stir once or twice.
- Drain + dry (this is the secret for great cooking)
Drain well, then pat dry with paper towel.
(Dry prawns sear better. Wet prawns steam.) - Use straight away, or refrigerate
If you’re not cooking/serving immediately, pop them in the fridge until needed.
Chef note: Don’t re-freeze thawed prawns, and don’t leave them sitting in brine longer than needed—once they’re thawed, get them drained and moving.
How to serve your prawns (simple to fancy)
Pick your vibe:
1) The classic (always wins)
- Lemon wedges + cracked pepper
- A drizzle of good olive oil
2) Creamy + crowd-friendly
- Garlic aioli or lemon-mayo for dipping
3) Fresh + zingy
- Citrus vinaigrette (lime/orange/yuzu) + spring onion + herbs
4) A little “wow” (but still easy)
Miso-ginger dressing:
White miso + rice vinegar + sesame oil + touch of honey.
(That sweet-savoury hit is unreal with prawns.)
Serve Idea: Drunken Sailor Prawn Cocktail Cups (fast, crunchy, crowd-pleaser)
If you want a fun platter-style serve that feels a bit special (but takes no time), this is a ripper. Brine-thawed prawns + crisp lettuce cups + a smoky, punchy dressing.
Drunken Sailor Prawn Cocktail Cups
INGREDIENTS:
- 1x Drunken Sailor Smokey Tomato Relish
- 500g Fresh whole cooked prawns (we love peeling them ourselves!)
- 1x Cos or baby gem lettuce (you want it crispy with "bowl" shape leaves
- 1x Avocado
- 1 spring of fresh dill
- Mayonnaise
METHOD:
- Peel your big-boy prawns.
- Cut prawns into about 1cm chunks - leave to one side
- Remove the outer layers of a cos or baby gem lettuce - you want to peel off and use the slightly crispier inside leaves for the cups. Arrange these on a plate
- Now to make your prawn cocktail dressing:
- Blitz up with a powered blender Drunken Sailor Smokey Tomato Relish so you get more of a slightly smoother sauce consistency.
- Make your mayonnaise or you could use a quality shop-bought mayo
- Add in your blitzed Drunken Sailor Smokey Tomato Relish
- Now assemble and drizzle with lashings of your Drunken Sailor Prawn Cocktail dressing...
- DONE! Now time to enjoy that crunch.
Chef Ian tip: If you’re serving these at a get-together, keep the lettuce cups chilled, and only assemble right before you put the platter out — maximum crunch, no soggy cups.
Final word from Chef Ian
"Frozen prawns aren’t the problem — rushed thawing is. Give them a quick salty spa, treat them gently, and you’ll get that clean, sweet, ocean-fresh flavour you’re chasing every time.
Chef Ian
