Bongkong Ang
បង្គងអាំង
Whole Mekong river prawns grilled in the shell over coals and served with a Kampot pepper, salt, and lime dip — the riverfront's simplest luxury.
By Cambodian Cookbook Kitchen · June 2, 2026
មេគង្គ Along the MekongIndependence & Sangkum era, 1953–1970
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Intermediate
The giant freshwater prawn — bongkong, the blue-clawed river king — is one of the Mekong's true prizes, and Kampong Cham grills it with the confidence of a place that has never been short of them. This is Sangkum-era pleasure food, the kind of thing you ate at a riverside table in the good years with a warm bottle of beer and a river breeze doing the air conditioning. There is no marinade worth the name and no sauce cooked on the stove; the whole dish is a good prawn, live coals, and a dip that Cambodians treat as a birthright. Overthink it and you have ruined it.
Grill the prawns whole and unpeeled, shell-side to the fiercest heat first, until the shells flush orange and blister and the head fat inside runs hot and sweet — five minutes a side for the big ones, less for smaller. Do not butterfly them and do not peel them; the shell is a shield that steams the meat while the char builds outside. For the dip, just stir cracked pepper, salt, and sugar together and squeeze the lime in at the table so it stays sharp. Peel a prawn with your fingers, drag it through the tuk meric, and suck the head — that last part is not optional, and the napkins are for cowards.
Leave the shells on and the heads attached. The head fat is the best part of the prawn, and grilling in the shell is what keeps it there.
ពាក្យពីចុងភៅ · A word from the kitchen
Ingredientsគ្រឿងផ្សំ
Serves 4
០ of ៨ gathered
The prawns
Tuk meric — the pepper-lime dip
Methodវិធីធ្វើ
Step 1: Ready the coals
Build a bed of coals and let them burn down to an even orange glow before the prawns go on. You want fierce, dry heat, not flames licking up — flames char the shells before the head fat inside has warmed through.
Step 2: Prep the prawns whole
Rinse the prawns and pat dry, then rub lightly with oil and a pinch of salt. Leave the shells on and the heads attached; the shell is a shield that steams the meat while the char builds outside.
Step 3: Grill shell-side first
Lay the prawns shell-side to the fiercest heat until the shells flush orange and blister, then turn. For the big blue-clawed ones give them about five minutes a side; smaller prawns need less, so watch for the shell color.
Step 4: Mix the tuk meric
Stir the cracked pepper, salt, and sugar together in a small dish. Hold the lime until the table so the dip stays sharp — squeeze it in fresh and add the minced chili if you want heat.
Step 5: Serve and eat with your hands
Pile the prawns onto a plate and serve at once while the head fat is hot. Peel with your fingers, drag through the tuk meric, and suck the head — that last part is where the sweetness lives.
ឧបករណ៍ · The tools
Equipment
Carbon-steel wok
ខ្ទះFor char kroeung, loc lac, and every fast fry — a well-seasoned wok gets screaming hot and moves food fast, the whole point of a stir-fry. Flat-bottomed for a home stove.
Shop on Amazon →Charcoal grill
ចង្ក្រានអាំងCambodian grilling is charcoal grilling — sach ko ang, grilled fish, skewers. The smoke is half the flavour, and a small clay or steel grill is all you need.
Shop on Amazon →
Equipment links are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Disclosure.
Questions from the kitchen
Should I devein the prawns first?
For grilling whole in the shell, no — cutting into the back to devein lets the juices escape and dries the meat. If a vein bothers you, deal with it after grilling as you peel, when the prawn is already cooked and juicy.
I can't get giant river prawns — what works instead?
Head-on tiger prawns are the honest stand-in and grill much the same way, just faster because they are smaller. Keep the heads on whatever you buy; the head fat is the whole reason this dish tastes of more than salt and char.
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