Food 8 Dishes to Savor as Santa Barbara Spot Prawn Season Draws to an End Grill, sauté, or fry sweet spot prawns for these stunning presentations to mark the seafood's season finale. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 5, 2023 Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kay E. Clarke While shrimp and prawns are interchangeable in terms of taste and texture in recipes, fresh spot prawns deliver sweetness, color, and freshness. Succulent Santa Barbara spot prawns have plump, tender tails reminiscent of lobster, and are in season from February through October. These stunning dishes are worthy of showcasing the shellfish while you can, but if you aren't able to source spot prawns, king and tiger prawns can be used in their place; they are larger than any shrimp and make for a show-stopping presentation on the plate. 01 of 08 Grilled Prawns with Okra and Eggplant Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Chef Zoe Adjonyoh tops grilled marinated prawns with sautéed eggplant, okra, and spinach that have been tossed with coconut oil and spices in this vegetable-forward dish. Get the Recipe 02 of 08 Squid and Shrimp Fideuà with Allioli Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Slowly sautéed prawns, squid, and shrimp nestle into a bed of short, thin noodles in this one-skillet main course inspired by winemaker Mireia Taribó's homeland of Catalonia in northeastern Spain. Get the Recipe 03 of 08 Garlic Ganbak (Skillet Spot Prawns with Garlic and Spanish Paprika) James Ransom / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christine Keeley Dominique Crisp simply seasons freshly harvested head-on Santa Barbara spot prawns with aromatics and pimentón, quickly roasting the succulent seafood in a hot oven allows the sweet, lobster-like meat to shine in this garlicky, smoky, spicy dish. Get the Recipe 04 of 08 Saffron Spaghetti with Santa Barbara Spot Prawns Aubrie Pick Italian chef Luca Crestanelli fries raw, unpeeled, head-on, tail-on spot prawns with asparagus and toasted saffron before tossing them with spaghetti and a creamy pan sauce for an eye-catching main ready in 40 minutes. Get the Recipe 05 of 08 Prawn-and-Chorizo Fried Rice Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman Sahil Sethi's fried rice from Bar Goa in Chicago is savory and spicy, studded with juicy prawns and dry-cured Spanish chorizo and finished with a sunny-side up egg and golden Madras curry mayonnaise. Get the Recipe 06 of 08 Sinigang Na Hipon Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kay E. Clarke Sinigang is a soup from the Philippines with a tangy broth, often made using sour fruit like tamarind or unripe guava. For her prawn sinigang, chef Melissa Miranda uses fresh grapefruit and lemon juice for the sour notes in the full-bodied fish broth that bathes succulent, grilled head-on prawns and earthy charred shishitos. Get the Recipe 07 of 08 Prawn Patio Eva Kolenko For this traditional Parsi side dish, Havovi Medora and Sabrina Medora quickly cook lemony prawns to serve with a silky, savory caramelized spread that's made jammy from cooking down a generous amount of red onion. Get the Recipe 08 of 08 Spot Prawns with Morel and Chocolate Sauce Emmanuel Moran Chef Jenny Dorsey combines surprising ingredients — morel mushrooms, white chocolate, and dill — to create a sweet and earthy sauce for her crispy tempura spot prawns. But don't stress — langoustine season began in September if you need a substitute. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit