Indulge in our finger lickin’ Salted Egg Yolk Prawns! They’re fried until crispy then coated using a creamy yolk sauce. In a gorgeous golden crust, they’re here to impress with more flavour and extra crunch!
Salted Egg Yolk Prawn Recipe
This Salted Egg Yolk Prawn recipe is one that you can’t miss.
Until recently, I’ve only ever had it at restaurants. I honestly believed there was no way I could ever enjoy Salted Egg Yolk Prawns in the comfort of my own home…unless it was taken away.
But who wants soggy fried prawns when you can make them fresh straight out of the fryer?
That’s where Dad came to save the day. Having had so much experience in the Chinese restaurant scene, he knew all the ins and outs of making this chef-quality recipe.
As soon as he plated the dish, all I could see was golden prawns generously lathered in a heavenly salted egg yolk sauce.
When I tapped at the prawn’s wonderfully crispy shell, the buttery coating stayed in tact. This meant only one thing: every crumb of salted egg yolk flavour had been sealed onto the shell so every bite will be full of salted creaminess.
It’s the most satisfying way to whet your appetite!
What is salted egg yolk?
Salted egg yolks are a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, most popular in festive dishes and during celebrations.
To Chinese people, their round shape symbolises the moon, making it a highly sought after ingredient during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.
Salted egg yolks are actually the yolks from duck eggs that have been preserved for months in brine. For a quick home version, you can simply cover egg yolks in salt with a touch of alcohol and leave them to sit undisturbed overnight.
Regardless of the method, the result is a semi-translucent bright orange yolk that is delicate but firm to touch. When cooked, they take on the colour and consistency of a yolk in a regular boiled egg.
The only difference is in the taste itself!
What does salted egg yolk taste like?
These golden balls are the ultimate luxury ingredient. The salted eggs themselves are not overly expensive, but the taste is exquisite. I can only think of three words: rich, creamy and grainy.
Not grainy in the dry, pasty kind of way, but grainy enough to give an exciting texture that cuts through the creaminess of a salted egg yolk sauce.
They’re mildly salty and are often used to complement flavours in other dishes. You can find them in moon cakes, salted lava custard buns and even in croissants with the latest salted egg craze!
Give them a try to see how they add a rich salted creaminess to the food!
Should I keep the prawn shell on or off for my Salted Egg Yolk PRawns?
When we eat Salted Egg Yolk Prawns at restaurants, it always comes with the shell on. Frying lightly battered prawns with the shell on is perfect for a few reasons:
- It seals the prawn’s juices and flavours inside
- The creaminess found in the head’s shell is retained with every bite
- There’s a beautiful crunch that makes the dish so much more exciting!
But if you’d prefer to have the shell off, then this is what you have to look forward to:
- The prawns will be infused with the salted egg yolk flavour
- You’ll enjoy a delicately light crunch with its crispy coating
Whichever way you want to eat it, it’s bound to be fantastic!
What you'll need to make Salted Egg Yolk Prawns
- 1 kg / 2 lb fresh prawns
- 5 salted egg yolks (we get it from the local Asian market)
- 50 g / 0.1 lb butter
- 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp sugar, or to taste
- potato starch (as a batter)
- cooking oil (for frying)
How to make salted egg yolk prawns
Put the salted egg yolks in a steam-safe dish and steam on a high heat for 15 minutes.
Let the cooked yolks cool slightly, then use a fork to mash them until fine. You can also use a food processor to make the salted egg yolk even finer.
Prepare the prawns by using scissors to snip off the sharper parts including the legs, tail and rostrum (the pointy end above the eyes).
Wash the prawns in cold water and pat them dry using a paper towel.
Lightly coat each prawn in potato starch then let them rest in a colander.
Pour oil into a pan and fry the prawns on a medium heat for 10 minutes or until crispy.
To make the sauce, use a new pan (or reuse the old one) and melt the butter.
Add the salted egg yolk, add the sugar and chicken bouillon powder and cook for 3 minutes.
Pour the fried prawns in and toss through the sauce until evenly covered.
Serve immediately with a wedge of lemon or spicy mayonnaise!
More Seafood party recipes
Impress your guests with our tasty seafood finger food recipes!
You can serve these at your next party or simply spoil your family for dinner. Just make sure you’ve made enough to share around because they’ll definitely go quickly!
Lots of Love,
Jeannette
Salted Egg Prawns (牛油黃金虾)
Equipment
- food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb fresh prawns
- 5 salted egg yolks (we get it from the local Asian market)
- 50 g / 0.1 lb butter
- 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar, or to taste
- potato starch (for frying)
Instructions
- Put the salted egg yolks in a steam-safe dish and steam on a high heat for 15 minutes.
- Let the cooked yolks cool slightly, then use a fork to mash them until fine. You can also use a food processor to make the salted egg yolk even finer.
- Prepare the prawns by using scissors to snip off the sharper parts including the legs, tail and rostrum (the pointy end above the eyes).
- Wash the prawns in cold water and pat them dry using a paper towel.
- Lightly coat each prawn in potato starch then let them rest in a colander.
- Pour oil into a pan and fry the prawns on a medium heat for 10 minutes or until crispy.
- To make the sauce, use a new pan (or reuse the old one) and melt the butter.
- Add the salted egg yolk, add the sugar and chicken bouillon powder and cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour the fried prawns in and toss through the sauce until evenly covered.
- Serve immediately with a wedge of lemon or spicy mayonnaise!
Video
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Wow, this sounds AMAZING! I’ve never tried salted egg yolks like this before but the whole recipe just sounds absolutely delicious. Saving for later!
Thanks, Emily! I hope you love it when you make it!
I can just taste these through the computer! YUM! Cant wait to make them
Thanks, Rebecca! I hope you love them like we do!
These salted egg yolk prawns are beautiful and look perfectly cooked. They are sure to impress anyone!
Thanks, Kelly!
This dish is very intriguing to me. I’ve never eaten shrimp with the shells on nor have I had salted egg yolk.. These shrimp sound delicious.
It’s great to try even without the shell! I hope you get a chance to have it one day ☺️
Oh my gosh! This looks & sounds incredible! 🙂
Thanks, Carrie!
What do you do with the white portion of the salted egg?
Hi, Abby! We usually get the egg yolks on their own from the shops, but if you have any egg whites from the whole egg, you can try chopping it into smaller pieces and steaming it with eggs like we do here: https://www.wokandkin.com/steamed-three-colored-eggs/
I hope that helps!