When I think of a prawn I picture little pink C-shaped crustaceans in a sandwich or prawn cocktail. So when I received these giant tempura black tiger prawns from Iceland, I had to change my whole outlook on the not-so-little sea dweller. The supermarket that specialises in frozen foods has what they are claiming to be "Britain's biggest tempura prawns" on offer as part of their Christmas party range this year. Coming in at seven inches long, they are much bigger than the ones I usually get from my local Chinese.
Speaking about the Luxury Ultimate XL Tempura Black Tiger Prawns, Matthew Worsley, senior development chef at Iceland Foods, said: “As the demand for unique and Instagram-worthy food grows, we’re always looking for the next larger-than-life food trends, and these giant tempura prawns are sure to get people talking this Christmas.
“These enormous prawns are almost the size of my hands and my head, but it’s not just the size where they excel." He added they also "taste exceptional" - but do they?. You get a pack of six for £15, which feels a little expensive for me, but they really are massive prawns. They only take 14 minutes in the air fryer straight from the freezer, so seem perfect to impress unexpected guests over Christmas.
There is a decent weight to the Black Tiger Prawns and when you bite into them you are immediately hit with the crunch of the tempura batter. This is wonderful and crisp. It has a wonderful texture against the soft prawn underneath. I would say the batter is perhaps a millimetre too thick, but I am being overly picky here, and it is such a good tempura it is easily overlooked.
