Halabos na hipon

No water goes in the pan: the prawns cook in what they give up, in about four minutes.

Shellfish. Not vegetarian — contains shellfish.

Ingredients

• 1 kg prawns, heads and shells on
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon oil
• calamansi wedges, to serve

Method

1. NOTHING LIQUID GOES INTO THIS PAN. Prawns are mostly water and they release it in the first minute; add any and you are boiling them, which washes out the flavour that this method exists to concentrate.
2. Leave the heads and shells ON. The heads hold the orange fat that colours and flavours everything.
3. Heat the oil in a wide pan with a tight lid, add the garlic for 20 seconds, then tip the prawns in and salt them.
4. LID ON IMMEDIATELY and leave it alone for 2 minutes. You will hear them release their liquid.
5. Shake the pan, lid back on, 2 minutes more. They are done when the shells have gone from grey to bright orange and the liquid has reduced to a glaze.
6. Off the heat at once. A minute longer and they are rubber. Calamansi at the table.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Philippines · All recipes