Preparing a dish with shrimp requires certain conditions in order to guarantee the desired flavor and seasoning. Indeed, the first and most important thing is that these exquisite crayfish-like crustaceans must be properly chosen to get the most appropriate ones. This will guarantee the success of your meal.
As we know, there are many species with different habitats, size and appearance, and most of them live in salt water. This time we will refer to the preparation of saltwater shrimp, since it is a marine species highly appreciated for its delicate and sweet taste. We will detail the steps to prepare them accordingly and what the best way to cook them and the most appropriate beverages to serve.
Preparation
Experts in seafood recipes say that cooking shrimp is very easy because the secret is to cook them lightly. So if you’ve always struggled to bring soft, flavorful shrimp to the table and instead eat them rubbery and bland, try reducing the cooking time, whatever method you use.
Of course, it’s always best to choose fresh produce, but in many cases frozen is also excellent. Just be sure to thaw them thoroughly. If you have to blanch them, take them out of the freezer just beforehand and immerse them in boiling water. If you want to fry, steam or grill them, thaw them in the refrigerator for a few hours. Never immerse them in hot or warm water while frozen, as they will lose their texture and flavor.
The preparation process includes two basic steps: cleaning and cooking.
How to clean shrimp
For this cleaning process we offer you some recommendations that will be very useful:
- You can cook them whole or even peeled, depending on your taste and the recipe you are going to prepare.
- Cut the shell off the top with scissors.
- Remove the head and keep it, since it is very tasty and perfect to add to a fish sauce.
- Once the head has been taken off, remove the shell.
- To do that, use your hands. It is very easy: put the index finger from above between the meat and the shell and move it outwards. It will come off very easily!
- Then all that remains is to remove the intestine, which is the black filet, usually a gritty and bitter thread that is clearly visible on the back of the shrimp.
- For that use a small knife, and gently cut the meat, being careful not to break it. Then, with the help of a toothpick, or directly with the fingers, extract it carefully.
- If you wish, instead, to clean them completely, remember to keep all the remains because they are the basic ingredients of an excellent fish stock.
How to cook shrimp
You can give yourself a real treat. If you have a good product at hand, it is recommended to:
- Leave the shrimp as natural as possible and blanch them in a pan with a drizzle of oil for two minutes.
- Serve them afterwards with a mixed salad.
- Another option is to prepare skewers and grill them.
- To make them tastier, you can dip them first in egg white and then in breadcrumbs.
- Or you can marinate them with oil, salt, garlic, a little soy sauce and parsley and then use them to dress a cold couscous or bulgur salad, raw.
For more complete recipes in the link https://riceselect.com/recipe/bangkok-rice-shrimp-salad some instructions to prepare an easy and nutritive salad with shrimp are given. Also, there is information about how to season shrimp and what other foods you can serve shrimp with. Likewise, some other recipes are provided that you will find very appetizing.
So, to summarize, the perfect way to cook shrimp is to cook them very quickly. To keep them juicy and tender, do not keep the heat too high or prolong the cooking time to more than 5 minutes.
What drinks to serve with shrimp?
Shrimp is a light dish, so we often find ourselves with the dilemma of what is the most appropriate drink to have when eating this food. The most recommended is to serve them with:
- A fresh cocktail.
- Light beer.
- A good white wine.
- A sparkling wine like champagne.
And for non-alcoholic diners, you can serve lemonade.