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1
Verify that every prawn is alive and active. Rinse briefly under cold running water. Any prawn that is still or dead must be discarded before proceeding — a dead prawn in a raw preparation is unsafe.
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2
In a deep, lidded vessel, combine the Shaoxing Huadiao wine, light soy sauce, and sugar. Stir briefly until the sugar dissolves. Lower the live prawns into the liquid and seal the vessel immediately. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: the wine must be Huadiao of genuine quality, the prawns must enter the marinade alive, and the timing must not exceed 20 minutes — the alcohol stuns rather than kills, and the window between a properly subdued prawn and an over-marinated one is narrow.
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3
Marinate for 15–20 minutes at room temperature. At 15 minutes the flesh will be sweet and faintly wine-scented; at 20 minutes it approaches the outer limit. The prawns will have slowed markedly in the vessel.
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4
Bed a serving dish with crushed ice. Transfer the prawns directly from the marinade to the ice and serve at once. The cold slows the prawns further but the dish is presented and eaten immediately.