How to cook shrimp: step by step recipes with photos

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Cooking shrimp is a simple process, but often done incorrectly. Anyone who has ever encountered tough, rubbery seafood will understand what I'm talking about. Many people love shrimp for their versatility, delicate flavor, and speed of cooking. This is one of the simplest types of protein foods and at the same time luxurious. But just because shrimp cooks quickly doesn't mean you can't spoil them.

The following are the most common mistakes made when preparing this product.

Using stale seafood

Fresh shrimp are extremely perishable. You must prepare them within 24 hours of purchase. If you live in a region remote from the seas, it is better to purchase a frozen product. In any case, if they have a foreign unpleasant smell, do not eat them.

Non-defrostshrimp before cooking

Putting frozen shrimp in hot water (or worse, in a pot with other foods or on the grill) will lower the cooking temperature of your dish. In addition, the seafood itself will cook unevenly. There is a correct and easy way to prepare frozen shrimp: put them in a bowl of cold water and in a few minutes they will be ready for further processing.

Also, you can leave them in the fridge overnight. They will thaw naturally and are ready to cook.

Cleaning with a dull knife

If you use a dull knife to peel shrimp, you will mash and tear them apart. This is a very delicate product, so the less you process them, the better. Try peeling them off the shells with kitchen shears. In addition, the shells help preserve the flavor. The most common way to cook shrimp is to boil them in s alted water. Thanks to the shells, the meat will remain more tender and juicy. Clean already cooked food.

Excess cooking time

There is a general rule: straight shrimp is raw, rolled into a C-shape is perfectly cooked, and rolled into an O-shape is overcooked. Such seafood in texture and taste resemble rubber. Never cook them to this point.

What to do with frozen seafood?

You have a lot of options when it comes to making frozen shrimp. Themcan be quickly defrosted and then cooked in the same way as a fresh product - grilled or pan-fried or boiled in a saucepan. Despite the advice above, there is also a method for making frozen shrimp, but this must be done strictly according to certain rules.

Shrimp thaw quickly, in five to ten minutes, if you put them in a large colander and start pouring cold water over them. But they can melt unevenly. It's best to place the shrimp in a large, airtight plastic bag before placing them in a colander. Be sure to shake this bag every few minutes to ensure even defrosting.

The method of cooking frozen-boiled shrimp is similar to processing raw such a product. Gently and slowly heating allows them to thaw a little before they start to cook, so they don't stay cold inside. Start by placing the seafood in a pot of cold water, then heat it up without bringing it to a boil. When the first bubbles start to appear on the surface, turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the shrimp stand for 5-10 minutes. When they turn pink, you can eat them (if you used the raw product).

Use these shrimp in pasta dishes with or without creamy sauces. Or refrigerate them to use later in a salad. Perfect with white beans, cherry tomatoes, diced avocado and chopped green onions.

Basic recipe for frozen shrimp

Use frozen shrimp in any recipe that involves processing them in any liquid (not just water, but coconut milk, broth or tomato sauce, etc.). Instead of adding all the other ingredients at the same time, put them in when the dish is simmering and turn off the heat. Let the seafood thaw completely, this will take about five minutes. Then reheat the dish slowly and heat for 5-10 minutes.

This is the basis for cooking shrimp. Below are some recipes for dishes with the addition of this seafood.

Spicy shrimp in the oven

If you are using boiled-frozen seafood for this recipe, soak it in cold water first and then pat dry. This method of cooking shrimp involves the use of hot spices. All you need:

• 1 garlic clove;
• 1 teaspoon s alt;
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper;
• 1 teaspoon paprika;
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil;
• a little black pepper;
• 750 grams of peeled shrimp;
• lemon wedges for garnish.

How to make oven-fried shrimp?

Turn on the oven and place the rack in the middle. Mix minced garlic with a teaspoon of tea s alt until a smooth paste forms. Add half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a teaspoon of paprika, a tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a littleblack pepper.

Rub this paste on all peeled shrimp. Grill on a baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. This is the easiest way to cook fried shrimp.

Spicy garlic shrimp

For this dish, shrimps are tossed in oil with garlic and crushed red pepper. You can cook them for dinner with rice as a side dish. In total for cooking shrimp you will need:

• one and a half tablespoons of butter;
• 6-7 garlic cloves, minced;
• 20 king prawns;
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper;
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon s alt;
• finely chopped parsley for garnish (optional).

How to fry spicy shrimp?

You can use frozen seafood for this recipe. Cooking boiled shrimp after thawing should be as follows.

Place the oil in a medium skillet and heat over medium heat. Let it melt and start to boil. Then add the garlic and sauté until it turns golden brown and releases a strong aroma. Use a wooden spatula to stir the garlic to prevent burning.

Add the shrimp to the pan. Fry until they turn reddish-orange. Season with s alt and pepper and serve with boiled rice.

Grilled tiger prawns

For this recipe, youselected large seafood will be required. This is another interesting way of cooking shrimp - grilling. Use sharp kitchen scissors to carefully clean the seafood. Trim off the legs, the hard end of the tail, and the long tentacles. Make a cut along the body on each shrimp, but do not remove the shells. Wash seafood and drain well in a colander.

Thread each shrimp onto a wooden skewer to keep it from twisting during the cooking process. Arrange them on the grill and fry until the shell turns red.

Asian style fried shrimp

For this recipe, it is better to take large, selected seafood. King prawns are usually cooked by sautéing or roasting. Serve this dish with a green salad and fried asparagus, as well as a plate of rice, couscous, or any other grain side dish. All you need is:

• 1 bunch fresh leaf parsley;
• 3-6 garlic cloves;
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped;
• half a cup of red wine vinegar;
• one and a half glasses of extra virgin olive oil;
• 1 teaspoon s alt;
• ½ teaspoon garlic s alt;
• ½ teaspoon fresh frozen black pepper;
• some red pepper flakes;
• 500-700 grams large shrimp, peeled.

How to make it?

Mix all ingredients except shrimp in food processor until smooth. Place the mixture in the refrigeratorfor complete cooling. Rinse and clean the shrimp, be sure to remove the shells with a sharp knife or scissors. If we consider the method of cooking boiled shrimp (frozen), just pre-place them in the refrigerator, about a day.

Place them in a glass bowl and gently stir in about half of the marinade, refrigerate for 15-25 minutes. If the shrimp starts to turn white, you need to start cooking them as soon as possible. This comes from the acid in the marinade.

Take them out of the fridge and put them on wooden skewers that have been soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Heat up the barbecue grill or grill rack. Be sure to oil the surface. Grill the shrimp for about 3 minutes on each side, depending on their size. Once they turn pink, they are cooked. Serve seafood with remaining sauce, freshly squeezed lemon juice and s alt.

Fried shrimp with rosemary and lemon

Shrimp is the most popular seafood. Because they are delicious on their own. The easiest way to cook shrimp is to boil them in water with sea s alt. However, you can improve them. Simply add a few sprigs of rosemary to them, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, and then fry until peachy pink.

As a rule, the appearance of shrimp is immediately noticeable when they are ready. This indicator is pink, but large seafood may need an extra minute. To check if the shrimp is ready, cut it in half: if it has become opaque inside, you can eat it. For the original recipe you will need:

• 700 grams of peeled shrimp;
• olive oil;
• fresh lemon juice;
• lemon wedges for decoration.

How to bake rosemary shrimp?

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Place a handful of rosemary sprigs in the bottom of a baking sheet, place the shrimp on top. Sprinkle generously with s alt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Roast, turning the shrimp once, until they are pink all over. This will take 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp

If you use this recipe, in 30 minutes you will be able to cook a delicious and he althy dish. This is the perfect weekday family dinner. Garlic, oil, lemons and shrimps give the basis of taste here. The trick is to sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes in a little olive oil and butter, then place the shrimp in the mixture for a few minutes.

You can easily make this dish even faster by preparing the zucchini first. Once baked, it can keep in the refrigerator for up to three days, and even up to a week if you place it in an airtight container. If you prepare the vegetable in advance, you can cook a delicious dinner in 10 minutes. So yourequired:

• 1 small zucchini;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil;
• 3 tablespoons butter;
• sea s alt and pepper;
• 4 garlic cloves, minced;
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes;
• 400 grams of shrimp;
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice;
• zest of half a lemon;
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.

How to cook shrimp with zucchini?

Cooking shrimp according to this recipe is as follows. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Cut the zucchini lengthwise and remove all seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with s alt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of butter with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add to shrimp and fry 2-3 minutes on each side until pink. Stir in lemon juice, zest and parsley. Season with s alt to your taste.

Take a Korean carrot grater and cut the baked zucchini into noodles. Divide among serving bowls, top with spicy fried shrimp and serve.