Buying and lighting calculator · Fish and seafood
How much large prawns do I buy and when do I light?
Gambón is sold whole, head and shell on, in sizes of only a few pieces per kilo: the big ones weigh about 60 g each, so six per person is about 350 g. Head and carapace make up almost half the weight and the coals take a little water, which is why we buy 350 g raw to end with 170 g of meat. In the kamado it is the quickest thing on the grill: about 5 minutes in total at 250 °C, direct, with longer on the first side than the second. Pull them with a hint of raw in the centre, because they finish cooking off the heat. A minute too long and the meat turns rubbery.
How to ask for it
For 4 people: Ask for 1.44 kg of large red prawns, fresh and whole with the head on; if frozen, thaw them in the fridge.
Between head, shell and cooking you keep only half: 350 g raw leaves about 170 g of meat. flesh opaque and pearly, with a hint of raw in the centre.
How we calculate it
We start from a reasonable cooked portion (about 200 g of meat on the plate, 170 g of cleaned fish) and convert it to raw weight using each cut's bone and trim loss. "Hungry" adds 25 %. We round up to what is actually sold: quarter kilos, whole pieces, units.
To the cook time (per kilo or per piece, at each method's temperature) we add the kamado's lighting and stabilising (20-45 min depending on the method, as on the recipe pages), the rest, and a margin for long cooks, which vary from one piece to the next. Times are approximate: your kamado, the wind and the charcoal decide; on big cuts, trust the probe.
Frequently asked questions
How many large prawns per person?
As a main, about 350 g whole per person, which is six large prawns and leaves about 170 g of meat. As a starter, three or four. Buy a few extra: they disappear before reaching the table. If there are other dishes on the table, four each is enough.
How many minutes do large prawns take on the grill?
About 5 minutes in total at 250 °C over direct heat: three and a half on one side and one and a half on the other. Smaller ones need three. Take them off when the flesh is opaque with a hint of raw in the centre.
Do you cook them with head and shell on?
Yes, whole: the shell shields the meat from the fire and the head adds flavour. That is why the portion is 350 g: nearly half the weight stays on the plate. If you buy them frozen, thaw them in the fridge and dry them well before grilling.
Other Fish and seafood cuts
- Portion-size whole fish (sea bream, sea bass, trout)
- Large whole fish (sea bass or sea bream, 1-1.5 kg)
- Salmon (fillet)
- Bluefin tuna (loin)
- Octopus
- Sardines
- Cuttlefish
Approximate figures. Sources and the portion rule are in "How we calculate it".