The Golden Oil π¦
Move over olive oil. Thereβs a new golden liquid in town.
The Golden. Prawn shell oil.
Prawn shells are usually the bit we throw away. But theyβre also packed with flavour and naturally occurring carotenoids, including astaxanthin, the pigment behind that gorgeous orange-red colour.
And because carotenoids are fat-soluble, oil makes a rather good extraction partner.
The part we usually throw away.
A tiny kitchen experiment
Save your prawn shells and heads. Crush them slightly. Cover with a neutral oil. Gently warm for 30β60 minutes, until the shells are fragrant and the oil turns gloriously orange.
Strain through a fine sieve, then ideally through muslin or cheesecloth.
Shells β oil β gentle heat β strain.
Thatβs it.
Shells, oil and a little kitchen chemistry.
What comes out is an intensely golden-orange oil, carrying the savoury, umami-rich flavour of the prawns along with naturally occurring pigments.
The science bit
Raw crustacean shells contain astaxanthin bound to proteins. Heat changes these protein-pigment complexes, revealing the familiar red-orange colour of cooked prawns.
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid and highly fat-soluble, which is part of what makes an oil-based extraction so interesting.
Itβs also having its moment in the biohacking world for its antioxidant activity and interesting biology. But this isn't a homemade supplement. We don't know how much astaxanthin actually ends up in the finished oil without analysing it.
Thatβs not really the point anyway.
The fun part is taking something destined for the bin and turning it into something beautiful, useful and delicious.
And you don't need to do anything complicated with it.
Try The Golden over a fried egg, spoon it through noodles, drizzle it over pasta, risotto or soup, or simply dip some crusty bread into it.
And suddenly, throwing the shells away feels like the waste..
Waste β pigment β extraction β The Golden Oil.
The prawn shells everyone throws away might just be the most interesting thing in the kitchen.
The result? Something that looks surprisingly like skincare with the added benefit of brightening up a dish completely
CΒ·π·
A little more Golden
This isn't just a random kitchen experiment. Chefs have been making shellfish oils in different ways for years, from quick high-heat extractions to slow, gentle infusions. Rick Stein uses prawn heads for shellfish oil, while other recipes use longer, lower-temperature extractions to draw out colour and flavour.
A few good places to start: