Malaysian Sabah sea prawns, often called Sabah tiger prawns, are large wild-caught prawns with a deep reddish-brown shell, firm and bouncy texture, and very intense prawn flavour with rich roe. They are usually sold frozen in medium-to-large sizes and are excellent for grilling, baking with garlic butter, deep-frying or simple steaming, where just salt, pepper and garlic are enough to bring out their natural sweetness.

Suggested cooking methods

1. Garlic butter baked Sabah prawns

   • Trim off the feelers and legs, butterfly the back and remove the vein, then pat dry.

   • Mix minced garlic, softened butter, a pinch of salt and black pepper, and spread over the prawn backs.

   • Preheat the oven to 200°C and bake for about 8–10 minutes, until the shells turn bright orange-red and the butter-garlic mixture is bubbling.

2. Grilled Sabah tiger prawns

   • Season simply with sea salt and black pepper; you can add a splash of lemon juice if you like.

   • Grill over medium-high heat for about 3–4 minutes per side, until the shells are slightly charred and the flesh is just cooked and juicy.

   • Finish with a squeeze of lemon and serve with beer or a side salad.

3. Malaysian-style Sambal prawns (Sambal Udang)

   • Prepare sambal chilli paste, chopped shallots, garlic and a bit of tamarind or other souring agent.

   • Sauté shallots and garlic until fragrant, add sambal paste and stir-fry until the oil separates, then add Sabah prawns and stir-fry quickly until cooked.

   • The result is spicy, slightly sour and very savoury, perfect with steamed white rice or nasi lemak.