Dampa Style Prawns

Prawns are probably my favorite of all seafoods, and it helps that they are so easy to cook! The trick? Don't leave them on the pan for too long. Overcooking them would ruin the flavor as well as the texture. Just give them enough time to turn a nice, bright orange and you should be all set. You should also take into consideration that your food continues to "cook" for a few more minutes after getting it away from fire.

My friends and I love going to dampa. Any dampa, but preferably the one in Ortigas (the one in the south is way too far for us). As you may have guessed, the butter garlic prawns dish is one of our staples. I just had to replicate it so I can enjoy the dish at home anytime I want.

Here are the ingredients:

1/2 kg Prawns (or shrimps)

lots of garlic

500 ml Royal Tru Orange (orange soda)

3/4 cup butter (you can use margarine for a more "authentic" taste)

1 tbsp oyster sauce

salt and pepper

baking soda

And here's what you need to do:

1. Marinate your prawns in orange soda (Royal Tru Orange) for about 30 minutes to an hour.

2. In a pan, melt your butter. Saute the garlic. Use a generous amount, depending on your personal taste.

3. Add your prawns as well as the soda you used in marinating.

4. Season with oyster sauce.

5. Add enough baking soda to improve the sauce consistency.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

You can adjust the amount of soda and butter depending on how much sauce you want. Some people also prefer to have the prawns shelled, so you can do this prior to cooking.