Dénia’s Red Prawn

“Red Prawn of Dénia” refers to red prawn from the Mediterranean Sea (Aristeus antenatus) which is caught in the fishing grounds along the sea channel between Cape San Antonio and Ibiza Island. Red Prawn has a high prestige as food produce given its intense sea flavor and its smooth white flesh. The simplest way to cook it is just a quick boiling into sea water.

Given the commercial value of red prawns in the last decades, part of the fishing fleets, from the ports of Dénia, Xàbia and Calp, are just dedicated to capture them. The buyers at the port auction are very demanding, that’s the reason why traditional trawling fleet is dedicated to pay great attention to detail when red prawns are catched. Then, prawns are immediately sorted by size and left over iced salt water. The condition of prawns is always preserved. Indeed, they have greater value as long as their legs and antennae are not damaged.

The most complete prawns are normally used by chefs for simple elaborations. In fact, they manage carefully prawns, by just boiling or grilling them. Red prawn is also added into stews and more elaborated dishes, along with rice (with or without broth), or with traditional shellfish stews, locally known as “llandeta” or “suquet de peix”. The International Creative Cuisine Competition of the Red Prawn, which is celebrated every year in Dénia, has opened new cuisine frontiers as long as other ingredients and new techniques are combined.