(Photography: supplied)
During episode 1 of My Kitchen Rules 2026, there was an interesting debate happening at the dinner table. During Krysten and Lucy’s Instant Restaurant, Puggles, they served up a seafood paella which included an unpeeled king prawn that had not been deveined.
While some teams were okay to get their hands dirty, others were not. Which begged the question: what’s the correct dinner party etiquette? If you’re hosting, should you peel and devein prawns for your guests?
MKR’s to peel or not to peel debate
The consensus at the dinner table was divided. Angus and Simon were vocal that they’re happy to peel the prawns themselves and made no complaints about it not being deveined.
“I dug straight in and I’m just loving it so much,” Angus said. “It was a classic seafood dish; it got a bit messy with the prawns but that doesn’t really bother me.”
Jane and Shane, on the other hand, were not impressed. “The prawns have not been deveined so that’s a massive problem,” Jane said. “Personally, I wouldn’t choose to eat a prawn that wasn’t deveined.”
“I’d rather just have the prawn throughout it, rather than having to peel the prawn,” Shane added.
Making the situation worse for Jane, was the fact that there wasn’t a way to clean her hands afterwards.
“There’s no bowl to wash your fingers with, so it’s messy,” Jane said.
A judge weighs in on the debate
While giving feedback, Colin shared his opinion on the ‘to peel or not to peel’ debate.
“I enjoyed the whole prawn and peeling it myself,” Colin said. “It is a family sort of dish and getting in there, getting your hands dirty… if you know how to do it properly, you’re fine.”
But we wanted the debate settled once and for all, so we went to our Facebook followers to find out what they think and we received a flood of strong opinions.
And the result is…
According to the response of Better Homes and Gardens readers on Facebook, 87.8% said they believe prawns must always be deveined, whether you have guests or not, while only 12.2% said they don’t care. That’s almost 9 in 10 in favour of deveining. But as always, some people had conditions.
Simone shared her hilarious opinion. “Only [devein prawns] if you like the person. If not, leave it in for extra flavour.”
Lyndell was also quick to joke that “I peel them, and if someone is eating them as quickly as I peel them, I get them to peel them – or they don’t eat any more!”
Multiple people pointed out that even if the prawn is cooked in the shell for extra flavour, the poop chute can be removed with a skewer or toothpick without peeling the prawn.
On the flip side, some people said if they’re hosting, guests need to do it themselves. Especially if it’s a big pile of freshly cooked prawns with shells on – “I think they should be able to devein them themselves,” said Genevieve. But if it’s in a dish then yes, devein, she added.
Valerie serves them in a big bowl at Christmas and said “I don’t do anything to them, each person does their own prep before they eat: take your own heads, shell and vein out before you eat.”
“Peeling the prawns with guests adds communal and friendly participation,” Maria shared. Plus she provides finger bowls, she said.
At least Jane would be happy about that!
Our food editor shares her thoughts
We asked our food editor, Sarah Murphy, what she thought about the debate and she said it depends on the situation.
“I think there’s a time and place for both. Having a relaxed summer get-together lends itself to a slightly messier, more hands-on way of eating, with bowls for the shells and water bowls for sticky fingers. There’s something very relaxed and summery about a big platter of prawns that people can pick up and peel themselves, and it can become part of the social experience rather than just another thing to eat,” she said.
“But if you’re having a more formal sit-down dinner, I’m not sure having to dismantle your prawns at the table is quite the vibe you’re after. Having them peeled and ready to eat just makes the whole experience feel a little more polished and relaxed for the guest.”
Sarah also points out the social hurdles peeling prawns can have at a dinner party for those who aren’t as familiar with the process.
“I’d also consider who you’re feeding. Not everyone is confident peeling prawns. It might seem like a simple skill if you’ve done it hundreds of times, but for someone who doesn’t eat or prepare seafood often, it can be a bit fiddly and intimidating. If you’re hosting a mixed group, taking that job out of the equation can make things more comfortable for everyone.”
How to devein prawns without removing the shell
If you don’t mind peeling prawns but draw the line at eating the poop chute, there’s a way to devein them without removing the shell.
With a small, sharp knife, make an incision from just below the head down to the tail without cutting all the way through, leaving head and tail intact and mid-section shell on. Prise the shell open a little to devein the prawn. Repeat for remaining prawns.
Preparing your prawns this way means you devein them but retain the shell, so if you’re using marinade it helps penetrate the flesh but the shell protects and keeps it moist while cooking. Keeping shells on while cooking also adds more flavour to the dish.
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