Stella’s Gambas is a bold Filipino-style prawn dish layered with garlic, chilli heat, and a unique sweet-salty balance. Juicy prawns are tossed in a rich, glossy sauce made with garlic chilli paste, lemonade, and prawn head juice for deep umami flavour.
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Filipino
Stella Sait
4 servings
30 minutes
30 minutes
174
A rich, garlicky prawn dish with chilli heat and a sweet-salty twist—this Filipino-style gambas is packed with bold, balanced flavour.
300–400g prawns (with heads, if possible)
3–4 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1–2 tbsp RoniB’s Kitchen Garlic Chilli Paste
1 ladle (approx. 120ml) lemonade
Juice from 3–4 prawn heads (optional but recommended)
Rock salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Toast the garlic.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
Build the sauce base. In the same oil, add the garlic chilli paste. Let it fry gently to release aroma and deepen flavour.
Add sweetness + acidity. Pour in the lemonade and prawn head juice. Let it simmer and reduce slightly until glossy.
Cook the prawns. In a separate wok, cook prawns with rock salt until just done (bright orange and juicy).
Combine. Transfer prawns into the sauce. Toss to coat evenly.
Finish. Add the toasted garlic back in. Mix well and cook for another minute.
To make prawn juice:
Place the prawn heads in a mortar and pestle, add water. Crush the heads with the pestle. Strain.
