Kuruma prawn ◆

Crevette kuruma

What it is

Kuruma means wheel, for the brown and blue bands that close into a ring when the prawn curls on itself. Motosaku Fujinaga spawned and reared it in tanks in 1933, the first penaeid prawn ever farmed, and every warm-water shrimp farm in the world descends from that method.

In the kitchen

It ships alive in damp sawdust and is killed at the counter, so buy it that way and cook it within the hour — its sweetness is a function of how recently it died. Run a skewer along the belly before poaching so it cooks straight for nigiri, and give it ninety seconds in salted water, no more.

Goes with

Junmai sake Soy sauce Wasabi Yuzu Kombu Fleur de sel de Guérande Shiso Sudachi

In season alongside

Northern sweet shrimp Nantucket bay scallop Clam Dungeness crab Haddock Surf clam

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