JOHOR BARU: For two consecutive nights, Loh Mui Peng’s family enjoyed steamed sea prawns drizzled with soy sauce and Chinese cooking wine.
“I steamed them with the skin on and with a simple seasoning of sesame oil, soy sauce, white pepper, ginger and Chinese cooking wine as I wanted to keep the sweetness of the prawns.
“The dish was a hit with my family,” said Loh, 60.
The sumptuous dinner came courtesy of a drop in the price of fresh sea prawns due to an oversupply.
Loh said she used to buy prawns infrequently as they tend to be pricey.
“Large sea prawns that are almost the size of my hand were considered a luxury for us due to the price.
“During Chinese New Year, they can cost more than RM100 per kg,” said the mother of one.
“So, when I heard the fishmonger saying that sea prawns are cheap at the moment, I decided to buy RM70 worth at the wet market last week, which amounted to about 2kg.”
She plans to buy another 2kg of sea prawns this weekend to share with her daughter who does not have time to go to the wet market due to work commitments.
Loh said she would keep the prawns in several clear plastic bags and store them in an airtight container before placing them in the freezer.
This, she said, would ensure their freshness for a longer time.
“I am planning to cook black pepper prawns in the next few days,” she added.
Zuraidah Ismail, 56, said she planned to take advantage of the lower price to stock up on fresh prawns.
“During a time when all we hear about is the rising cost of living, it is nice to see the price of prawns going down.
“I do not cook prawns often, but when I do, I usually get farmed prawns, which are cheaper than wild-caught prawns,” said the home-based baker.
She said she would spend a bit more to buy sea prawns as they were now affordable since farmed tiger prawns were being sold at RM30 per kg.
Zuraidah also said she would avoid buying prawns with detached heads or “loose” shells, which were an indication that they were not fresh.
“If the prawns are fresh, I will cook them in coconut milk to make udang masak lemak.
“If they are not as fresh, I will dip them in batter and deep-fry, which is a hit with my children.
“I will also cook them in sweet and sour sauce with capsicum, cucumber and pineapple cubes to cut down the ‘fishy’ taste,” she added.
