Cantonese Style Dry-fried King Prawns (Gon Jin Har Lok)

Method13 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Using kitchen scissors, snip along each prawn’s back through the shell. Cut a little deeper with a knife to butterfly the flesh, keeping the shell and head attached, then remove the vein with a knife tip or toothpick.

   Uses 8 whole shell-on, head-on king prawns

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Pat the cleaned prawns thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Mix with the ¾ tsp salt, cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Clean the sink, utensils and work surface after handling the raw prawns. Prepare the rind, juice, garnishes and sauce while they marinate.

   Refrigerate the salted prawns · 15 minUses All eight cleaned and butterflied prawns from step 1 · ¾ tsp marinade salt

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Wash and dry the orange, then remove its rind and cut it into thin strips. Divide the strips into two equal portions: one for frying and one for the final garnish.

   Uses All the rind from one orange · Water, as needed to wash the orange before removing its rind

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Squeeze and measure 100 ml orange juice into a bowl; use enough juice to reach that measured amount. Wash and drain the parsley and spring onion, then chop or slice them for serving. Have the juice and prepared garnishes ready before heating the wok.

   Uses 100 ml measured orange juice · Parsley, as needed for garnish · Spring onion, as needed for garnish · Water, as needed to wash parsley and spring onion

5. 5

   Step 5: Mix the 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and 1½ tbsp sugar in a bowl. Keep this sauce ready beside the wok.

   Uses 1 tbsp dark soy sauce · 1 tbsp oyster sauce · 1½ tbsp sugar

6. 6

   Step 6: Heat the 100 ml oil in a wok over high heat, adjusting the heat to avoid smoking. Fry the prawns in small batches until their shells begin changing colour, turning gently so the heads stay attached. This first fry may leave the flesh partly cooked: keep the batches together and continue immediately through the sauce-finishing stages in the same cooking session.

   Uses 100 ml initial frying oil · All eight dry, salt-marinated prawns from step 2

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Lift each initially fried batch onto a clean plate. Once all eight prawns have had this first fry, keep them ready for prompt sauce finishing, leaving the frying oil in the wok for the next step.

   Uses All eight prawns lifted from the initial fry in step 6, with wok oil kept separate

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Turn off the heat and carefully pour the excess wok oil into a stable heatproof container, leaving about 1 tbsp of the same frying oil in the wok. Keep the prawns ready to return promptly.

   Uses The remaining frying oil from step 6, with the prawns held separately

9. 9

   Step 9: Return the wok to the heat. Add the first half of the rind strips and fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Add all the mixed sauce and the measured 100 ml orange juice. Let it bubble and caramelise slightly, controlling the heat so it does not scorch.

   Uses About 1 tbsp of oil retained in the wok in step 8, with excess oil kept separate · Half the thin rind strips prepared in step 3 · All the sauce mixed in step 5 · All 100 ml of juice measured in step 4, with prepared garnishes held separately

10. 10

    Step 10: Return all the held prawns to the hot orange sauce immediately. Turn and coat them gently, keeping their heads attached.

    Uses All eight initially fried prawns held in step 7, with frying oil already handled separately · All the bubbling orange sauce and rind from step 9

11. 11

    Step 11: Continue cooking for about 2–3 minutes, checking from 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the prawn flesh is pearly, opaque and firm throughout. Keep cooking as needed to reach that endpoint; shell colour alone does not establish doneness. Aim for a lightly browned glaze without scorching, then turn off the heat.

    Check the glazed prawns · 2 minUses All the sauce-coated prawns from step 10

12. 12

    Step 12: Transfer the fully cooked prawns and glaze to a serving plate. Garnish with the reserved half of the rind strips and the prepared parsley and spring onion.

    Uses All the fully cooked glazed prawns and sauce from step 11 · The remaining half of the thin orange-rind strips from step 3 · The washed and chopped garnishes from step 4, with measured juice already used and wash water discarded

13. 13

    Step 13: Serve hot as four side-dish portions.

    Uses All the finished glazed and garnished prawns from step 12