STI: Is bigger better?

March 22, 2009

Is bigger better?

Tourists might be drawn to giant prawns but local foodies say small is juicier, sweeter and more tender

By Tay Suan Chiang 

 

Bigger is not always better.

 

Discerning diners know that when it comes to seafood, bigger specimens do not necessarily taste better.

 

In fact, most of the chefs, restaurateurs and foodies LifeStyle interviewed say they would skip ordering the gigantic prawns popular with tourists at Newton Food Centre.

 

The shellfish have been in the news all week after newspapers reported that a group of American tourists were charged $491 for a meal at Tanglin Best BBQ Seafood. They had ordered eight tiger prawns, some crabs, half a steamed chicken and a few bottles of beer.

 

At the centre of the dispute was the bill for the prawns, which came to $239 - about $30 a piece.

 

The tourists complained to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) took up the case. The agency has since ordered the stall to shut down for three months from next month.

 

But as Sam Leong, 43, corporate chef and director of kitchens at the Tung Lok Group, puts it: 'The bigger prawns look gorgeous but the meat is tough.'

 

Not to mention old. Tiger prawns live up to three years and grow to about 400g. As one prawn year is equal to 23 human years, the giant prawn sitting on the grill is about 69 years old in human terms.

 

Better to stick with younger prawns, those interviewed said.

 

Housewife Yong Wai Na, 35, buys medium-sized prawns instead of the bigger ones from the wet market.

 

'The smaller ones taste sweeter,' she says.

 

Food lover Dennis Wee, 56, chairman of Dennis Wee Realty, buys prawns weekly from a wet market in Bedok to steam and also chooses the smaller ones over the big ones.

 

'Prawns that are too big are not tasty as the meat can be tough,' he says.

 

There is another good reason to shun big prawns.

 

Mr Kenneth Lim, 44, chairman of the Ponggol Fish Merchants Association and a wholesaler who sells seafood to wet markets across Singapore, says that most consumers also prefer smaller prawns as they are cheaper.

 

He says that the cost price of prawns that weigh 400g is about $40 per kg.

 

'The medium-sized ones cost $15 to $25 per kg so they are more affordable to fishmongers who in turn sell to consumers,' he says.

 

Even top chefs here recommend using smaller prawns.

 

Chef Leong says that prawns weighing about 40g each are the ideal size as the meat is juicy and tender.

 

For steamed prawns, a dish that requires the freshest specimens, Chan Kwok, 52, masterchef at Orchard Hotel's Hua Ting restaurant, recommends using prawns that weigh 30 to 50g.

 

Eric Teo, 45, executive chef at the Mandarin Oriental and president of the Singapore Chefs Association, says medium-sized prawns that weigh about 40 to 45g 'are in their spring stage and have the sweetest taste'.

 

The food experts that LifeStyle spoke to also say that the bigger the prawn, the older it is and this accounts for the tougher texture of the meat.

 

But while smaller is sweeter, larger prawns can taste good if they are cooked right.

 

Chef Chan says smaller prawns are more suited for steaming while those that weigh 100g to 150g are good for grilling as there is more meat.

 

At the popular Jumbo Seafood restaurant chain, prawns that weigh about 140g are barbecued or baked with cheese rather than steamed.

 

Its executive chef, Ng Chong Guan, 44, says: 'Bigger prawns take a longer time to cook so they are more suited for grilling as the meat will still be juicy.'

 

The small is beautiful rule also applies to fish, especially popular choices such as soon hock and garoupa.

 

Chef Teo says that for steamed fish, the weight of the fish should not exceed 1.2kg so the meat is still tender.

 

Ms Veronica Tan, 51, one of the partners of the Peach Garden chain, says the restaurant usually serves soon hocks and garoupas that weigh between 600g and 1kg because the flesh is 'finer and sweeter'.

 

The restaurant will serve larger fish, such as those weighing above 1kg, only if customers ask for them.

 

But when it comes to crabs, the reverse is true.

 

The bigger the better and this is especially true of the Sri Lankan crabs that are popular with Singaporeans.

 

'A bigger crab doesn't necessarily mean it is older,' says Chef Ng. 'Crabs get bigger when they have more to eat.'

 

Chef Teo adds: 'Crabs taste better when they are bigger as the meat is thicker and hence juicier.'

 

taysc@sph.com.sg