1. Firmly twist the head away from the body and discard, or use for stock.Turn the prawn over and break open the soft shell along the belly, then carefully peel it away from the flesh.For some recipies you may wish to leave the tail section in place.

2. With some large raw prawns you may need to remove the intestinal tract, which looks like a thin black vein running down the back of the prawn flesh.Run the tip of the knife down the back of the prawn and then lift up and pull out the vein.