The words “shrimp” and “prawn” are often used interchangeably, depending on where the person saying them comes from: Britons and Australians tend to refer to all types of these crustaceans as prawns, while in the United States, it’s usually shrimp.
The distinction has nothing to do with size – shrimp are not necessarily smaller than prawns – but anatomically, they are different. The most obvious difference is that prawns have back shell “plates” that overlap starting at the base of the head and get smaller towards the tail, while with shrimp, the second shell plate overlaps the one in front, going towards the head, and the one behind it.
Many people think shrimp come only from the sea and prawns only from fresh water, but that’s not true: carabineros prawns are caught from the ocean while the tiny, delicate shrimp served in Shanghainese restaurants are from a river.
Unless a recipe calls for a specific type of prawn or shrimp, they can be used interchangeably. The most important aspect for most recipes is freshness: choose whatever is best in the market that day. Asian seafood markets usually offer a good selection of sizes at reasonable prices.
Dried shrimp roe is sold in small jars in Chinese grocery shops. The roe are tiny, but intensely flavoured. The shrimp roe is an optional iingredient, but it adds a lot of umami to the dish, and one jar will last a long time in the fridge.
Fen si is also known as mung bean noodles or glass vermicelli.
Shrimp oil is easy to make. Just collect shrimp heads and shells in a bag and store them in your freezer. When you have a sufficient amount – at least 90 grams (3 oz) – put them in a pan, add cooking oil to cover them, then cook at a low simmer for about 30 minutes. The oil will be a deep orangy-pink. Strain the oil and discard the solids, then pour the oil into a clean jar or bottle. If you don’t have any shrimp oil, use plain oil.
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