Here’s a look at where to buy BC Spot Prawns in Vancouver (BC Canada) along with 2024 season dates, buying tips, how to cook spot prawns tricks and spot prawn recipes.
- How long is the 2024 BC Spot Prawn Season?
- Where to buy spot prawns
- Spot Prawn festivals & events 2024
- Vancouver/Richmond Restaurants Spot Prawn Feature Dishes
- What is so special about spot prawns?
- Why is it called spot prawn?
- How are spot prawns caught?
- How much are live spot prawns?
- Tips for buying live spot prawns
- How many spot prawns are in a pound?
- How to prepare spot prawns
- What is the best way to cook spot prawns?
- Spot prawn recipe ideas
How long is the 2024 BC Spot Prawn Season?
The BC Spot Prawn Season is super short. The 2024 harvest season started Friday May 17 and is expected to last 30 – 40 days.
Where to buy spot prawns
BC Live Spot Prawns (Ladner Wharf)
Based out of Ladner, BC Live Spot Prawns & Seafood (BCLSPS) provides the freshest, wild-caught seafood directly from fishermen to customers. Customers are guaranteed only sustainable, antibiotic-free and hormone-free live, fresh or frozen spot prawns, salmon, sablefish, lingcod, halibut, and more. Thousands of happy customers have bought live spot prawns from BCLSPS.
This year, customers can head to Ladner Wharf (5000 Elliott Street, Delta) starting May 17 to purchase live spot prawns. BCLSPS will open at 10am daily and limited quantities of live spot prawns will be available until sold out. There will be no pre-ordering online and customers will be served on a first come, first served basis.
Alternatively, if customers would like to secure their live spot prawns in advance, they can visit the BCLSPS website at bclivespotprawns.com to place a pre-order for home delivery. Greater Vancouver home delivery for live spot prawns is available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the end of the season.
Steveston Spot Prawns (Steveston Fisherman’s Wharf)
Steveston Spot Prawns is selling spot prawns from their boat in Steveston Fisherman’s Wharf. Follow their live updates @steveston.spot.prawns. Open from 8am until sold out starting May 17.
Prawns on the Spot (Steveston Fisherman’s Wharf)
Prawns on the Spot is taking preorders (minimum 2 pounds) for market price.
The Lobster Man (Granville Island)
Lobster Man is taking preorders at $27.99 per pound at the time of this update starting May 16. Available for in-store pick-up only.
T&T Supermarket (Various Locations)
T&T usually has live spot prawns in the tank.
Spot Prawn festivals & events 2024
BC Spot Prawn Festival 2024
On Sunday May 26, join the Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia for a celebration of an iconic BC product at the annual Spot Prawn Festival. Outdoor stand up event and runs rain or shine. Support Chefs’ Table Society initiatives in three ways:
- Free – access to the docks to purchase fresh BC Spot Prawns directly from fishers, view cooking demos and family-friendly activities.
- $10 + taxes – a 10 oz bowl of Spot Prawn Bisque compliments of Organic Ocean
- $79 + taxes – Spot Prawn Brunch – outdoor stand-up grazing style event with tasting menu of six delicious BC Spot Prawn dishes, wine, beer and non-alcoholic cocktails along with a sweet treat.
Chefs’ Table Spot Prawn Festival Brunch is a delightful culinary adventure that offers two different service times: 11:30am to 1pm or 1:30pm to 3pm. Guests will enjoy six custom spot prawn dishes prepared by some of BC’s finest chefs. This is a delicious way to sample various creations and to interact directly with the chefs about their BC Spot Prawn preparation tips. The brunch will also include complementary tastings from local wine and beer sponsors, as well as a sweet treat.
Organic Ocean Bisque will be offering a delicious and elegant Spot Prawn Bisque + bun. Tickets for the bisque and a freshly baked bun are $10 a bowl (plus tax and service), are all-ages and non-refundable, and can be purchased for a convenient time slot.
Spot Prawn & Seafood Dine About Richmond
Steveston Spot Prawn and Seafood Celebration is happening from May 17 to June 16 and celebrates this coastal culture with a variety of events and activities, including fresh seafood brought into Fisherman’s Wharf daily, demonstrations from professional chefs and locally caught seafood (by Steveston Fishers) featured on participating restaurant menus as part of their Dine About promotion.
Vancouver/Richmond Restaurants Spot Prawn Feature Dishes
Straight and Marrow is offering a 5-Course Spot Prawn Dinner:
- Course 1: Spot Prawn Carpaccio
- Course 2: Pork Belly Scallop Spaetzle Spot Prawn Bisque
- Course 3: SpotPrawn, salted egg, brown butter lettuce wrap
- Course 4: Spot Prawn Etoufee Risotto
- Course 5 Corn Panna Cotta with Spot Prawn Powder
Fanny Bay Oyster Bar and Shellfish Market is offering spot prawn special features. These include sashimi-style servings available at the raw bar, with the option to add a fried prawn head, starched and fried, coated with sweet paprika and sea salt with dipping sauce ($7 per piece and $2 for fried prawn head), as well as cooked prawns to complement dishes like paella and crab boil ($8 per piece), Grilled Spot Prawns 4 pieces for $30, served with sauce vierge (tomato, parsley, garlic, olive oil, chili, lemon) and pickled peppers and Italian parsley Additionally, Chef Tommy will showcase a rotating “chef’s feature” dish incorporating these succulent prawns. In addition, live spot prawns will be available for purchase at the market for $32/lb.
Skye Avenue Kitchen & Lounge is offering spot prawn features:
- Spot Prawns Ceviche – Fresh caught spot prawns, lime juice, avocado, thai chilli, corn tostadas $23
- Risotto lemon and burrata – Arborio risotto, preserved lemon, herbs, spot prawns tartare, Italian burrata $26
- Grilled prawns & Chimichurri – Fresh spot prawns, Peruvian chimichurri, fresh arugula $23
Smithy’s Oyster House on Main Street will showcase the spot prawns in dishes such as Paella, spot prawn Aguachile, and grilled spot prawns.
Coast Restaurant is offering spot prawn features:
- Spot Prawn Live Sashimi $12
- Spot Prawn Stack with mango, avocado, radish and spicy mayo $18
- Spot Prawn Crudo with yuzu-brown butter vinaigrette, green chili and mint $23
- Half Pound Spot Prawns with garlic butter and grilled lemon $27
- Half Pound Tempura Spot Prawns with spicy ponzu $29
- Spot Prawn Fettuccine with sautéed prawns, squid link, bisque and bottarga $36
Five Sails is offering Spot Prawn Tasting for $110 per person:
- Course 1: Spot Prawn Ceviche with cucumber & jalapeño aguachiles, coconut, avocado, citrus
- Course 2: Spot Prawn Ravioli with spot prawn and scallop mousse, prawn & cognac reduction and charred onion
- Course 3: Butter Poached Spot Prawns with crispy pork croquette, pomme puree, fava beans, apple, port jus
- Dessert: Yuzu Curd with finger lime, brown butter fiancier, apricot sorbet, basil foam
Italian Kitchen is offering spot prawn features:
- Spot Prawn Fritto (ricotta stuffed zucchini blossom, fennel, arugula, baby heirloom tomatoes, basil aioli) $28
- Spot Prawn Tagliolini (honey mussels, BC sea urchin, brown butter puttanesca)$55
- BC Halibut and Grilled Spot Prawns (fire morels, white asparagus risotto and spring onion oil) $62
Glowbal Restaurant is offering spot prawn features:
- SPOT PRAWNS & HOKKAIDO SCALLOP CRUDO with watermelon radish, ikura, lemongrass chili emulsion $25
- SPOT PRAWNS “BIBIM-NAENGMYEON” korean style chilled noodles, cucumber, scallion, crispy prawn head $25
- SPOT PRAWNS & MUSSELS with fennel apple slaw, ciabatta toast $36
What is so special about spot prawns?
The BC spot prawn season is a favourite time of the year for foodies.
Known for their sweet, delicate in flavour and firm texture, BC spot prawns are delicacies that are enjoyed locally but also around the world.
Are spot prawns worth it? YES!
Why is it called spot prawn?
BC spot prawns are reddish brown in colour and have characteristic white spots on their tail and white horizontal bars on the carapace (shell).
BC spot prawns are the largest of the seven commercial species of shrimp found on Canada’s West Coast.
They vary greatly in size; some larger females can exceed 23 cm in total length – bigger than your hand!
How are spot prawns caught?
Prawn fishermen typically leave early in the morning to spread baited traps in areas approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The traps lie along the rocky ocean floor at depths ranging from 40 to 100 metres.
This method has minimal impact on ocean habitat and very low levels of bycatch of other species.
The fisherman return later in the day to collect their haul.
How much are live spot prawns?
For the 2024 season, prices at the fisherman wharfs are around $24 – 25 per pound.
Tips for buying live spot prawns
The first days when spot prawns are available on the market are pretty crazy.
You can preorder online ahead of time at some of the vendors that have online shops but that doesn’t guarantee the availability.
During the first few days, the amount of spot prawns on the market is usually not enough to keep up with the HUGE demand in the beginning.
If you are planning to buy directly from the fishermen boats at the wharves, the boats typically come in around 12 pm – 1 pm.
You can expect long line ups at the wharf ahead of when the boats even arrive. The wait could potentially be hours. Check the social media of the fishermen for the latest information on when the boat is arriving or if they are sold out. The demand does wane a bit as the season goes on so you can find spot prawns more easily in places like supermarkets (even in the late evening) and not having to wait in line for hours at the wharf.
When you buy live spot prawns, they should be jumping, moving about with a translucent appearance. Do not buy foul-smelling, discoloured spot prawns.
How to keep spot prawns alive
How do you transport live spot prawns? Bring a cooler with a small ice pack if you can to keep your spot prawns alive. That way you can keep them cool until you get home.
Do not put the spot prawns directly in ice because melted fresh water ice will kill them.
If the spot prawn is dead, an enzyme is released from within a prawn’s head that can cause the meat to turn mushy when cooked.
How many spot prawns are in a pound?
Depending on the size of the catch, the number can range from 10-16 for mixed sizes. Recommended serving is roughly half a pound per person
How to prepare spot prawns
So you’ve brought home your live spot prawns, kept them cool and they’re sticking kicking and moving about. What to do next?
Get ready to cook them ASAP. You need to cook them live because spot prawns release an enzyme when they die.
If you’re asking “why are my spot prawns mushy,” it is likely that your spot prawn meat is spoiled.
Dead prawns have a black flesh and are simply not good to eat.
Do not put spot prawns in tap water because fresh water will actually kill them.
Spot prawns taste best when they are cooked fast in just about two minutes. Beware of overcooking!
You can even undercook the spot prawns a bit because they will continue to cook after removal from heat.
Look for them to turn pink and curl up which means they are ready to be enjoyed.
For the spot prawn meat to be in the best condition, cook the spot prawns live with their head or you will need to remove their heads while still alive.
How to remove spot prawn head
It can be intimidating at first, but to remove the head of a live spot prawn follow these steps:
- Carefully remove the spot prawn from the bag and carefully handle the sharp ends.
- Firmly grab the spot prawn head in one hand and the spot prawn body with the other.
- Pinch the spot prawn head with your thumb and index finger.
- Twist your hands in opposite directions and pull.
- Voila, the head will come free easily!
- Grab the body with your dominant hand and pinch the head between the thumb and index finger of your other hand. Quickly and forcefully twist the body away from the head until it’s removed. Rinse the tail thoroughly.
Check out this demo video to see how it is done.
What is the best way to cook spot prawns?
In the list below, here are the best ways to cook spot prawns.
How to steam spot prawns
Bring the water in your pot to a boil. Place spot prawns in the steamer basket. Steam for about 2 minutes and then run cold water over them.
How to grill spot prawns
Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side at medium heat. You can also skewer them.
How to boil spot prawns
Bring the water in your pot to a boil. Boil spot prawns (with shell) for about 2 minutes.
How to sautée spot prawns
You can sautée spot prawns for a few minutes with or without shell.
Can you eat BC spot prawns raw?
Spot prawn tails can be eaten sashimi-style from de-headed fresh, BC live spot prawns.
Spot prawn recipe ideas
Here are some spot prawn recipe ideas for inspiration.
- Cooked then chilled on ice. Serve with a lemon and cocktail sauce.
- With butter only!
- Paella with mussels, clams and fish. Serve with wine.
- Steamed and then seasoned with olive oil, lemon and salt.
- Cooked in sweet chili, butter, garlic and tomato sauce.
- Pasta with tomatoes, asparagus in a garlic white wine sauce.
- Tacos with mango, lime, sweet onion, salsa, chipotle mayo, avocado, cilatro and so forth.
- Ceviche style.
- Olive oil, salt and lemon zest.
- Spot prawn boil with corn, potatoes and onions.
- Garlic butter with Romesco sauce.
- With coconut milk and lime.
- Grilled and tossed in uni butter.
- Spot prawn scampi (linguine pasta, butter, garlic, parsley, lemon, white white, parmesan)
- Skewered and grilled.
- With a butter garlic sauce.
- Grilled with corn, then served with pasta and cherry tomatoes.
- Chili garlic spot prawn steamed with sake and served with coconut rice.
- Seafood risotto with mussels and clams.
- Serve with soy sauce.
- With a sake dashi broth.
- Olive oil, garlic and fresh lemon juice.
- Served with garlic, herb butter and zucchini and peas.