Why aren't the shells removed when butter/cereal prawns are cooked?

Question

The butter/cereal is applied onto the shells of the prawns. Does that mean that the shells are supposed to be eaten too? But I'm sure prawns will taste better without the shells. O_o

Answer 1

From my point of view...maybe if you remove the shell for butter / cereal prawns the prawn might shrinked into a much smaller size or the prawns might turn too soft of soggy over the heat of the cooking time?... Normally i dun remove the shells with my hands...usually will be using my mouth biting the prawn into pieces so i get to taste the shells but not eating the shells up...that way by the time i eat the flesh it has the butter/ cereal taste...=)

Answer 2

liz is right on this - eat with the shells is nice! but i do know of people who leave the shells alone...lol

up to individual's tastes.

Answer 3

I think the effect is 2 fold.

Firstly, the restaurants that prepare cereal prawns want to impress the diners by offering larger looking prawns, so the shells are left intact.

Secondly, the juices from the prawn are kept in with the shells. Once you shell the prawns, the dripping, including the butter that oozes from the prawn combine it  into a yummy treat!!

Personally, I eat the whole thing, minus the head. The tails are fabulous... crunchy and crisp..!

Answer 4

No, you can cook them in the shells, but don't eat the shells.

Answer 5

You can eat the shells, I do that ! But only for the medium/small prawns, the bigger prawns have harder shells to chew & swallow...

Answer 6

it is more flavourful this way.

Answer 7

actually the shells can be eaten as they've been fried to a crisp so it would be very crunchy

taking out the shells may make the prawn too salty as it may get too much of the butter or cereal coating

Answer 8

1. Prawn will become smaller when shell is taken out.

2. Without shell, you will eat butter prawn that that taste like butter.  With shell, you can eat suck the butter from the shell and at the same time can have the original prawn taste and will offer supreme butter prawn taste.

Answer 9

The shells of the prawn can be eaten as it's fried to crisp! AND by right the shells r suppose to taste as nice as the prawn meat becuz there's butter+cereal applied to it! Eat both together! Cuz u'll taste the butter+cereal 1st then the meat(by dis time the butter+cereal taste still lingers). So it's a together thing! If you stillthink it taste better without the shell then there's something wrong with the chef cooking it! BTW i'm a chef trained in 7 diff cuisine, in this case it's chinese cuisine(butter cereal prawn).