Soy-Braised Prawns (You Men Da Xia)

The story

You men da xia is the Shanghai dinner-party flex: whole prawns braised shell-on in a caramel-soy glaze, eaten with hands, shells and all. The shells are the flavor — peel as you go and let the glaze get everywhere.

Ingredients (5 + pantry staples)

• Shell-on prawns or large shrimp — 1.5 lb / 700 g
• Soy sauce — 2 tbsp
• Sugar — 1.5 tbsp (counts here)
• Scallions — 2, sliced
• Ginger — 3 slices

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): cooking wine or water (3 tbsp), cooking oil. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Snip the whiskers; sear prawns in hot oil with ginger, 1–2 minutes until they turn pink-orange.
2. Wine, soy sauce and sugar in; lid on, 3–4 minutes.
3. Lid off, reduce 2 minutes until the glaze clings. Scallions.
4. Hands, napkins, no regrets.

Swaps

Same glaze on any shellfish. A splash of black vinegar at the end turns it toward Wuxi style.