If you’re having trouble twisting off the head, you can also remove it by cutting it off with a sharp knife.
Repeat this process until all the legs are removed.
Every so often, you may find a prawn with a particularly mushy or soft shell. If this is the case, you may have to pull the shell off in pieces, as mushy and soft shells tend to rip or break fairly easily. The tail of the prawn may fall off as you peel off the shell.
If you’re planning to eat the prawns in a single bite, or if you’re adding them to a recipe, you’ll likely want to remove the tails. Leaving the tails attached can also make it easier to grab the prawns for dipping into a sauce. [5] X Research source
While the vein of the prawn is edible, it can add a bitter taste.
You may also want to set out a bowl or have a trash can nearby for discarding the heads, shells, legs, and tails as you remove them from each prawn.
While you want to press down firmly to hold the prawn in place, make sure that you don’t press so hard that you squish or crush the shell into the meat.
The head of the prawn should scoop off easily. If it doesn’t, however, you can also use a knife to cut off the head.
Wiggle the spoon a bit to loosen the shell even more before pulling it back out.
Repeat this process until all the prawns are peeled.
Because the vein of the prawn is edible, you can skip this step. However, the veins can add a bit of a bitter taste.
