Follow Me Foodie to BC Spot Prawns!
The time has come. Alaskan King Crab season is over and BC Spot Prawn season is here! In the foodie world this is equivalent to Christmas. If you’ve never had one you’re deprived, or allergic to shellfish which means you’re still deprived. If you’re vegetarian then consider being pescatarian even if it’s just for the season. You have no idea what you’re missing out on, and if it helps these are sustainable! And local! It’s a win win situation, although if you still decide to miss out, then more for the rest of us and I thank you for being so selfless.
BC Spot Prawn season officially kicked off yesterday and live ones are available May until June (8 weeks), but you can still enjoy them frozen in the other months. So where can you find these large, sweet, succulent and delicate yet firm prawns? All over Vancouver! Whether you’re buying them direct from Vancouver’s local fisherman, the supermarket, or enjoying them at a restaurant, it is no doubt you will see them being offered everywhere. There are many BC Spot Prawn menus and activities in the next couple months and here are just a few that caught my attention.
BC Spot Prawn tips from Wild BC Spot Prawns: When buying spot prawns, ensure they feel firm (heady and body), are near translucent, have few or no black spots and smell of the sea with no hint of ammonia. The tail should be straight in line with the head. To read more about handling see here.
Follow Me Foodie BC Spot Prawn tip: Try them raw (sashimi or ceviche style). Don’t waste the heads. Suck out the juices or deep fry the heads and eat them crunchy. You can also extract the juices in the heads and use them as a sauce. I actually cook the juices in the heads with some garlic and mix them into a home made hollandaise sauce. I pour it over a BC Spot Prawn eggs benny for breakfast. Go me! Also don’t cook them for longer than 1-2 minutes.
Follow Me Foodie to BC Spot Prawn Menus & Events!
The 6th Annual Spot Prawn Festival brought together by the Chefs’ Table Society of BC is the biggest Spot Prawn celebration of the season. Taking place on Saturday, May 5th at 11am at False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf (just off the entrance of Granville Island), this will be the event for BC Spot Prawn lovers. Although the event is completely sold out they will be reserving about 200 plates for walk-up visitors. The line usually starts forming 1-2 hours before kick off. If you don’t get your plate of prawns at the festival then that would really suck, but you can visit the fisherman from Organic Ocean on the wharf around noon and buy some for about $12/lb. The event also features lots of free activities like an Ocean Wise kids zone, live band, and 5-6 cooking demonstrations featuring Vancouver’s celebrity chefs like Vij from Vij’s and Tojo’s from Tojo’s.
YEW Restaurant + Bar at The Four Seasons is offering BC Spot Prawns for lunch and dinner.
BC Spot Prawn Menu
First
BC Spot Prawn Gazpacho
Heirloom Tomatoes, Pickled Mini Fresco Cucumbers
Northern Devine Caviar Crème Fraiche
Lunch & Dinner – $12
Second
BC Spot Prawn & Scallop Ceviche
Citrus Salad, Jalapeno Pearls
Lunch & Dinner - $19
Third
BC Spot Prawn & 12 oz AAA Rib Eye Steak
New Potatoes, Fresh Green Peas & Red Wine Glaze
Dinner – $45
Fat Dragon Bar-B-Q To Host BC Spot Prawn Boil
Kitsilano Daily Kitchen posts a menu at 4pm everyday and I am almost sure that BC Spot Prawns will appear in some form throughout the May-June season. Things like BC Spot Prawn ceviche or BC Spot Prawn Boil with nugget potatoes, steamed corn and garlic broth ($30) are items you might see. See here for their menus.
C Restaurant Spot Prawn Menu
$70 per person
Amuse Bouche
Spot Prawn bisque, Crisp Prawn, Citrus Dust
1st course
120 Minute Egg with Poached Spot Prawns, Tomato Horseradish, Truffle
2nd course
Spot Prawns with Bacon Lime Tortellini, Jalapeño Fluid Gel, Black Bean Puree and Favas
Main course
Peel and Eat Prawns with Preserved Lemon, Garlic and Brown Butter, and Crisp Potato Chips
Dessert
Lime tart with Caramelized Meringue
Chocolate truffle
Location: 2-1600 Howe Street, Vancouver BC
The Lobby Lounge at Oru Cuisine at Fairmont Pacific Rim celebrates BC Spot Prawns!
Peel and Eat Spot Prawns with lemongrass and chili-garlic oil
Sautéed Spot Prawns with heart of palm, yuzu-pao sauce, coconut milk foam
Spot Prawn Ceviche with Kabosu Vinaigrette, melon, cucumber-wasabi salsa
Don’t miss out on this delight that only comes around once a year!
Location: 1038 Canada Place Vancouver, BC
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Did you go to the Spot Prawn festival at Granville market on Saturday? I am glad I pre-booked tix. on-line ahead of time. There was quite the line-up of people waiting in line for tix. to become available. What a gorgeous day it was…… and this was Bruno and my first time trying spot prawns. They literally melted in our mouth….. very satisfying to have them live up to our hopes and expectations! I did keep an eye open for you in case you were there….. there were a surprising number of women in very high heels wandering about the dock area……
mmm thanks for the reminder of spot prawns! i’ll need to pick some up this saturday for dinnnnner!
Mijune, do you know a good place where i can pick up spot prawns in Vancouver?