Gently cooking prawns in a hot pickling liquid keeps them crisp and flavorful. The tangy results make these shellfish an ideal garnish for a Bloody Mary, or a perfect snack on their own.

Game plan: If you’re using frozen prawns or shrimp, make sure they are fully thawed before cooking.

  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 20 mins, plus chilling time
  • Active: 5 mins

Ingredients (9)

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 6 limes)
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, stems removed and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium celery stalk, coarsely chopped
  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 pound large prawns or shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients except the prawns or shrimp in a medium saucepan with a tightfitting lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 4 minutes. Add prawns, stir to incorporate (making sure the prawns are submerged), cover, and remove from heat. Let sit until prawns are just cooked through (they will turn orange in color and look opaque), about 15 minutes.
  2. Remove prawns from the pickling liquid and refrigerate in a container with a tightfitting lid until chilled. If you desire, reserve the pickling liquid for our Bloody Mary with Pickled Prawns.