How to cook shrimp properly: a detailed chef’s guide

Shrimp is a delicacy that can brighten up any dish, be it a light salad, pasta or soup. However, the process of cooking shrimp requires attention and understanding. To get the ideal result – tender and juicy meat – you need to follow a number of rules.

Preparation of shrimp

Choosing a fresh product

Chef of the Farm Café at the City Farm on VDNKh

“An important step in preparing delicious shrimp is the right choice of product.”

When buying the product, you need to pay attention to several factors:

• odor: fresh seafood has a slight marine flavor. If you smell an unpleasant tinge of ammonia or some other pungent odor, it may indicate that the shrimp is stale and it is better not to buy it;

Fish and seafood poisoning is one of the most severe.

• appearance: shrimp should be whole, with intact shells, clean, without stains and slimy film. If the product is frozen, pay attention to the presence of ice in the package – if there is too much, you may suspect re-freezing;
• size: shrimp come in different sizes. Choose the seafood to suit the dish you plan to cook. Smaller ones are usually used for salads or appetizers, and larger ones for main dishes.

Defrosting shrimp

Frozen shrimp need to be thawed before cooking. Otherwise, they may not cook evenly.

You also need to approach the defrosting process itself wisely. The gentlest kind is in the refrigerator. Transfer the shrimp from the freezer to the refrigerator and leave them there for 12-24 hours. This is a slow process, but it provides the best result – it preserves the texture and flavor.

If you are short on time, you can use cold water. Place the seafood in a bowl of water and change the liquid every 30 minutes until the shrimp is completely thawed.

Do not use hot water – this can negatively affect the texture and flavor of the product.

Defrosting in the microwave is best avoided, as this can also compromise the flavor – the shrimp may become rubbery.

Cleaning shrimp

Before cooking the seafood should be thoroughly washed and cleaned from the intestines – it runs along the back of the shrimp. The fact is that it can contain sand, which will give bitterness to the finished product.

To do this, make a shallow incision along the back of the shrimp and carefully pull out the black strip.

It is worth removing the intestinal tract before cooking. Only then should you run the shrimp into boiling salted water.

Many boil shrimp with the shell, however, to get close to the intestines, it must also be removed. First separate the head from the body and then carefully remove the shell, starting at the legs and working your way to the tail.

Some people leave the tail on for ease of serving, but it depends on your preference.

Water preparation

After preparing the shrimp, you need to deal with the water in which they will be cooked. To cook such seafood, you will need a large pot. Fill it with clean, cold water so that the shrimp can float freely during cooking.

You can give shrimp a rich flavor by adding various spices and seasonings to the water:

• salt: this is the main ingredient for cooking seafood that can bring out its natural flavor. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of salt per liter of water;
• bay leaf: it gives a slight spicy flavor;
• garlic: a few cloves of garlic will spice up the dish;
• lemon: lemon juice will help soften the flavor of the shrimp and make them fresh;
• Peppercorns: black or white peppercorns will add a slight spice and piquancy.

Depending on your taste preferences, you can add dill, thyme or coriander to the broth.

It is important to remember that the spices should complement, not drown out the flavor of the shrimp. If you are cooking this seafood for the first time, start with a minimal set of seasonings, and then experiment by adding new ingredients.

Cooking the shrimp

After adding all the seasonings, place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Add the shrimp to the broth in small portions, so the water temperature will not drop too drastically. Set a timer so as not to overcook the product, as this will negatively affect the texture and flavor.

Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the shrimp:

• tiger shrimp – 6-7 minutes;
• Argentine shrimp – 5-6 minutes;
• king prawns – 5 minutes;
• scalloped shrimp – 4-5 minutes;
• Atlantic shrimp – 1-2 minutes.

For fresh shrimp, add one to three minutes to the cooking time, depending on the size.

After cooking shrimp should be cooled. Using a skimmer or sieve, remove them from the pot and transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. After a couple minutes, the dish is ready to eat.

Serving

Boiled shrimp can be served as an independent dish. They are perfectly complemented by various sauces, especially delicate creamy ones based on cream, sour cream, yogurt and cheese. You can add some fresh herbs, lemon juice or pressed garlic to them.

Shrimp can be arranged either on a large platter with sauces around the edges, or on individual serving plates.

Bon appetit!