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Prawn-a-palooza: Recipes for spot prawns

1/11
It may be a humble one-room shack, but Pearson’s Port in Newport Harbor houses some of the freshest prawns and seafood in Southern California. Here, owner Tommy Pearson prepares to head out for his 7 a.m. spot prawn run a couple of miles out in the Pacific.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
2/11
Keeping one eye on the horizon and the other on a GPS device, Tommy Pearson searches for a lost buoy off the Newport coast that marks the location of a string of shrimp traps he had set earlier.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
3/11
Deckhand Spencer Frohling takes a break after baiting and rigging all of the shrimp traps aboard Tommy Pearson’s boat, the Harvest.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
4/11
Frohling hangs over the rail, guiding Pearson toward one of their buoys.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
5/11
Frohling says a prayer before he and Pearson begin to haul in their 12 shrimp traps. On good days, they’ve caught as much as 120 pounds of spot prawns.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
6/11
Pearson and Frohling work in tandem to pull up a trap, which they’ll quickly empty and place any prawns into an ice-water well in the middle of the deck.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
7/11
For bait, Pearson likes to use Friskies, preferably the “Salmon Dinner” kind. He says more traditional bait tends to get eaten by octopuses, which then scare off any shrimp. Friskies seems to have less appeal, and he keeps cases of it stored below deck.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
8/11
Spot prawns, despite their size, aren’t really prawns. They’re shrimp with pale-orange shells and snow-white flesh that tastes much like lobster.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
9/11
Spot prawns spawn from September through November, and fishing closes down from November through January to protect the hatch. There are only 30 fishermen in the state licensed to catch prawns, and because of the great care that goes into keeping them alive to preserve the quality, they can fetch a high price.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
10/11
Most California spot prawns are caught around the Channel Islands, but that would require a bigger boat than Tommy Pearson’s 26-footer. He sticks to the Newport Canyon area and trawls for prawns in spring and summer; come fall and winter, it’s time for spiny lobsters.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
11/11
One of Pearson’s traps pulls in a few prawns along with several urchins. He’ll end up with about 20 pounds of spot prawns, an OK day in what has been a slow spring. At Pearson’s Port, the shrimp will retail for about $13 to $19 a pound.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Grilled spot prawns with garbanzo beans, tomatoes and arugulaTotal time: 15 minutesServings: 6Note: Find live spot prawns at Pearson’s Port in Newport Harbor, Los Angeles Fish Co., Fish King in Glendale, Santa Monica Seafood, selected 99 Ranch markets and other Asian markets.2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided Pinch dried red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided 1/2 cup olive oil, divided2 tablespoons lemon juice 3/4 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved2 pounds spot prawns4 cups torn arugula leaves1. Drain the garbanzo beans, place them in a strainer and rinse them under cold, running water. Pat them dry with a towel. Combine the beans with 1 teaspoon minced garlic, the red pepper flakes, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, one-fourth cup of the olive oil and the lemon juice. Stir in the grape tomatoes and set aside.2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining one-fourth cup olive oil, the remaining 1 teaspoon minced garlic and one-half teaspoon of salt.3. Arrange the spot prawns in a single layer in two grilling baskets. Brush with the garlic-olive oil and grill over a medium-hot fire until bright red and slightly charred on one side, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook another 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on the other side.4. Stir the arugula leaves into the garbanzo bean-tomato mixture, taste and adjust seasoning. Mound the salad in the center of a platter and arrange the prawns around the salad. Serve immediately.Each serving: 385 calories; 36 grams protein; 26 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 707 mg. sodium.

Spot prawns roasted in spiced saltTotal time: 35 minutesServings: 4 to 6Note: Find live spot prawns at Pearson’s Port in Newport Harbor, Los Angeles Fish Co., Fish King in Glendale, Santa Monica Seafood, selected 99 Ranch markets and other Asian markets. You can use coarse or fine salt to roast the prawns; fine salt will form a firmer, more compact crust that will be harder to crack after roasting.2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns6 whole allspice2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon ground smoked paprika2 pounds spot prawns10 cups salt1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place a rack on the top third and bottom third of the oven.2. In a spice grinder, grind the peppercorns, allspice, bay leaves, red pepper flakes and paprika into a fine powder.3. Place the spot prawns in a large bowl, pour the spice mixture over and toss to combine. Place the salt in a separate large bowl and stir in 1 2/3 cups water so the texture is that of gritty snow.4. Line two jellyroll pans with foil and spread some of the salt in a layer about one-fourth-inch deep. Divide the prawns evenly between the pans, arranging them in a single layer. Mound the rest of the salt on top, covering them completely in a smooth, even layer.5. Roast for 18 minutes until the prawns are fragrant and the meat is firm. Remove the pans from the oven and cool briefly.6. With a sturdy metal spoon or chef’s knife, chip a crack around the base of the salt crust and carefully lift off the top. Use a dry pastry brush to wipe away any salt on the surface of the prawns. Serve immediately with fingerbowls for rinsing.Each of 6 servings: 189 calories; 30 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 3 grams fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 776 mg. sodium.

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