A tasty dish with little preparation, steamed garlic prawns with vermicelli only takes a few minutes to cook. Follow my recipe to learn how to make this classic dish packed with flavours.
Soak vermicelli noodles in warm water for 5 minutes (or in cold water for 10 minutes) until they are soft and pliable. Rinse under cold water and drain. Then place them onto a plate.
Peel the body shell of the prawns (keep the head and the tail). Put them flat on a chopping board then cut sideways from the back (Do not cut through). Then place them on top of the noodles with the body part open flat (see pictures above).
Fry garlic and chilli in oil over a medium heat until fragrant (do not burn). Transfer to a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine, water, white pepper, sugar and salt, then mix well.
Spoon the sauce onto the prawns. Then place the plate into a steamer filled with water. Bring the water to a boil. Then leave to steam over a low heat for 5 minutes (see note).
Garnish with spring onion if you wish. Serve warm with plain rice.
Notes
Steaming Tips: If you don’t have a steamer or your steamer is too small to hold a plate, you can use a wok instead. Pour some water in the wok. Place a small bowl in the water. Put the prawn plate on top. Cover with a lid then steam.