How to peel and clean raw prawns

To peel raw prawns, start by pulling off the head if there is one. Then peel away the shell from the thick end, working down to the tail. The little prawn legs will come off with the shell. The very end of the tail can be left on for appearance. If you need to remove the tail, simply squeeze the prawn and pull out the meat. Now you need to cut and devein the prawns. Using a sharp knife make a cut to remove the digestive track of the prawn. In some prawns you won't be able to see it. That's ok, just move on! When shelling the prawns yourself, keep the shells to make a stock or delicious prawn butter.