Sake-Steamed Prawns

• 1 lb. medium prawns (with heads on)
• 0.5 cup sake, Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce

Devein the prawns, place them in a bowl, sprinkle them with salt, and pour the sake over them; leave this in the fridge for a half hour.

Drain the marinating liquid into a pot and top it up with a cup of water. Bring this to a boil and place the prawns in a steamer basket over it; cover and steam them until they turn quite pink (about 5 minutes or so).

Either serve them in warm bowls, sprinkled with a little soy sauce, or shock them in a bowl of ice water and serve them on a bed of lettuce, with cocktail sauce on the side.