Why Our Prawns Are Simply the Best

If you’ve spent any time at Duke’s, you know that we bring you only the best when it comes to quality, taste, and sustainability.  

But sourcing is a tricky corner of the food industry. Did you know Duke’s Seafood once served farmed prawns?

Let us explain…

Back when we first started experimenting with prawns, everybody was raving about Black Tiger Prawns. So we tested them in our kitchens. We thought they were just okay, but guests really wanted them.

Then we learned that most Tiger Prawns served in restaurants are farmed in Asia. And when we dug deeper into how these farms operate, we learned that these farms pollute coastal waterways, spread disease, and deplete wild shrimp populations. 

Not good. 

Some restaurants these days serve farm-raised white Vannamei shrimp, which come from places like China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. According to the World Wildlife Fund, these farms pollute estuaries and the salt from the ponds permanently harms the hydrology of the groundwater.

Also not good.

Supporting the farmed shrimp industry went against something we’re very passionate about, which is to never source anything that causes harm to the environment.

But what were we to do? Our guests wanted prawns.

So we started looking for sustainable prawn operations. The perfect fit would give us a consistently tasty prawn fished sustainably.

Turns out, that’s a tall order!

“Try Gulf Shrimp!” we heard. So we tried them, but according to Duke, the taste wasn’t right (he’s rather picky).

“How about Alaska Spot Prawns?” one of our suppliers asked. And oh, yes, these are delicious, but they are only good on the day they are caught, and that’s an impossible logistical hurdle for a restaurant located thousands of miles away.

Finally, someone suggested we try prawns from the Sea of Cortez. They’re wild-caught by family-owned trawlers who care about their environment (including the use of specialized equipment that protects sea turtles), are processed efficiently, and travel beautifully. And best of all?

They taste amazing.

Fresh, with a hint of the sea, and just enough sweetness. They’re firm and juicy and flavorful. Essentially, they are the perfect prawn.

Like with anything this dreamy,

 there are drawbacks to sourcing these babies sustainably.

Drawback #1: they have to be deveined and shelled onsite, which, if you’ve done this yourself at home, you know it’s a bit of a chore.

But you’re probably only shucking a dozen or so, right?

On an average day, our chefs at Duke’s sauté, boil, and grill almost 3,000 prawns. Hand-peeling prawns takes time (ask us how we know).

Drawback #2: they cost more than farmed prawns from Asia. We know this is a painful topic for some. But we can’t buy cheap prawns if it means polluting waterways and destroying habitat for wild things. Especially for a prawn we feel is substandard in taste and quality.

For the last twenty years, we’ve been sourcing our prawns from these family-run trawlers in the Sea of Cortez. Our partnership supports not only their livelihood but a healthy ocean.

So next time you bite into a succulent, juicy prawn crafted by one of our chefs, know that there’s more to it than meets the tastebud.

Have you sampled a Duke’s prawn lately? From appeteasers to salads to a mouthwatering prawn-stuffed lobster, we have a prawn for you!