How To Cook Frozen And Fresh Shrimp Correctly And How Much: Cooking Ordinary, Royal, Description Of Methods With Photos And Videos

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

How to cook shrimp correctly: we understand the secrets of cooking

Seafood so beloved by nutritionists, once a rare delicacy for Russians, is now firmly registered on our tables. And first of all, this concerns shrimp, which, unlike lobsters and Cornish crabs, are quite a budget way to diversify your menu with seafood. Not yet a fan of this product? Then let me try to convince you. Or at least offer a couple of successful recipes for cooking shrimp - what if one of them will eventually become your favorite? We will tell you about the peculiarities of choosing and storing this seafood, how to choose the right one and how much to cook.

Content

• 1 Useful properties of shrimp
• 2 How to choose and store seafood at home
• 3 What to cook with

• 4 How and how long to cook shrimp in a saucepan and not only

  • 4.1 Frozen
  • 4.2 Fresh
  • 4.3 How to cook with lemon to foam
  • 4.4 For salad with dill and spices
  • 4.5 Cooking king prawns in a slow cooker
  • 4.6 In the microwave
  • 4.7 Appetizing bonus: shrimp salad
  • 4.8 Video: how to cook shrimp for sushi and rolls

Useful properties of shrimp

Anyone who refuses to get closer to acquaintance with sea and freshwater crustaceans loses a lot. The dietary meat of these creatures contains deposits of nutrients.

There is:

• vitamins A, B, C, D, E, thanks to which our vision remains sharp, our skin is young, hair and teeth are healthy, blood vessels are elastic, and immunity is strong;
• a whole bunch of minerals, the first of which is iodine, which ensures the coordinated work of the thyroid gland and the central nervous system, an active metabolism, vigor of the body and sobriety of mind;
• folic acid is the main enemy of depression and bad mood;
• a protein involved in muscle repair and growth, collagen production by the skin and many other processes;
• healthy fats that are important for normalizing brain activity and overall health.

Great taste and maximum benefits

Regularly appearing on our table, shrimps help cleanse the blood of toxins and heavy metals, improve its circulation, reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, normalize metabolism, and raise vitality. At the same time, they do not contain so many calories - from 75 to 105 per 100 g - so they can rightfully be called a dietary product.

How to choose and store seafood at home

If you take a meticulous list of all the varieties scurrying in the seas, lakes and rivers of shrimp, you can easily get to a couple of thousand. But since you and I are not biologists, and at the moment the small crustacean interests us exclusively from a culinary point of view, we will not delve into the scientific jungle. Suffice it to say that shrimps are distinguished:

• habitat - marine and freshwater;
• according to the distribution area - warm water and those that prefer northern latitudes;
• by the method of extraction - caught in a natural reservoir or artificially grown. The latter, by the way, are in the majority on the market: about 8 out of 10 shrimps that enter the shops come there from special farms. However, this fact minimally affects their taste and health benefits, unless, of course, the manufacturer has taken it into his head to stuff its products with antibiotics, stimulants and dyes.

How to make the most successful purchase when going to the supermarket for a "catch"? First of all, pick up the product in a transparent package that allows you to clearly see its contents.

1. If there is a lot of ice on the shrimp, it means that they were subjected to secondary freezing or were specially soaked in water to increase weight.
2. The fact that the product has already been defrosted is also indicated by the presence of snow or frost in the package.
3. Do not take shrimp with gray spots on the shell, yellowish body color and blackened heads, they are spoiled. But the greenish plaque is not dangerous, it's just traces of plankton.

4. A straightened tail indicates that the individual was frozen in violation of technology and, most likely, died long before that.

   

   Straight tail and dark head - a sign of stale shrimp

5. The shrimp should move easily in the pack. If they are stuck together or frozen in barrels, they were not stored correctly.
6. A large number of broken antennae and tails is also a sign of a low-quality product.
7. No other aromas should come from the shrimp besides the smell of the sea.
8. Pay attention to the caliber, the larger it is, the more valuable the product. And one more thing: all individuals in the package should be approximately the same size. If this is not the case, then the manufacturer cheated by mixing an expensive product with a cheap trifle.

What to cook with

Traditional additions for cooking shrimp are bay leaves, black pepper and, of course, salt. But if you want to get a more interesting taste, there are other options:

• sliced lemon;
• fresh herbs - dill, parsley, cilantro;
• onions and garlic;
• beer and milk, which are mixed with water for cooking shrimp or used in pure form;
• olive oil or butter, if you prefer stewed shrimp;
• ginger, nutmeg, curry, chili, turmeric, saffron and other spices.

How and how long to cook shrimp in a saucepan and not only

In order for shrimp to delight eaters with tender juicy meat and a pleasant taste, it must be properly cooked. And for this, the first step is to decide what kind of product you are going to cook - fresh or frozen?

An appetizing delicacy you need to know how to cook properly

Frozen

We rarely deal with fresh shrimp. They are difficult to store, difficult to transport, they quickly deteriorate and bring only losses to the seller if they are not disassembled within a few days. Therefore, most often we get a frozen product. And here there is one caveat: usually such shrimps are already half cooked by the manufacturer, which, of course, shortens the cooking process. You can tell if seafood has been exposed to high temperatures by looking at its pretty orange-pink barrels, which are grayish in raw shrimp. As for not only boiled but also shrimp peeled before freezing, you can not cook them at all, but simply pour boiling water over and let them thaw. Although for hygienic purposes it is better not to give up cooking.

To make frozen seafood you will need:

• water - 1.5-2 l;
• shrimp - 500 g;
• bay leaf - 2-3 pcs.;
• black peppercorns - 3-5 pcs.;
• salt.

Cooking.

1. Pour water into a saucepan, place it on the stove and bring to a boil. Add salt, pepper and bay leaves.

   

   1 Everyone determines the amount of spices to his own taste

2. Follow the shrimp and wait 1–2 minutes if you are dealing with small specimens, and 2–3 minutes if you have large representatives of the glorious family of crustaceans.

   

   Finished shrimp begin to float to the surface

3. Catch the shrimp with a slotted spoon and place on a towel to drain excess water, then send the finished meal to a serving platter.

   

   Serve the delicacy with fresh herbs

Fresh

When fresh shrimps fall into the hands of a beginner, he often becomes stumped before the question of whether they need to be peeled. Not necessary. This will only add extra work to yourself and remove some of the dietary meat along with the shell. Get down to business right away. And to make it more interesting, try boiling shrimp … in milk!

You will need:

• water - 500 ml;
• milk - 1 l;
• shrimp - 500 g;
• spices to taste;
• chopped fresh or dry dill - 2-3 tbsp. l.;
• lemon;
• salt.

Cooking.

1. Combine milk and water in a saucepan or deep frying pan, bring to a boil over high heat and add salt and spices to the container.

   

   Real gourmets use vegetable coconut instead of cow's milk

2. Then add the shrimp, add fresh or dry dill, reduce the heat and wait 3-5 minutes depending on the size of your seafood - the larger the shrimp, the longer it will cook.

   

   Cooking time will remain the same

3. Remove the shrimp from the pan, place on a serving dish, pour over with lemon juice and garnish with dill sprigs.

   

   Milk-cooked shrimp have a particularly delicate flavor

How to cook with lemon to foam

By and large, any well-cooked shrimp will suit your favorite foamy drink. But we suggest you get down to business with imagination and cook sea crustaceans in the "intoxicated" bath. Their taste will only benefit from this.

You will need:

• beer - 1-2 bottles;
• shrimp - 500 g;
• bay leaf - 2-3 pcs.;
• black peppercorns - 3-5 pcs.;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• parsley;
• lemon;
• salt.

Cooking.

1. Pour beer into a saucepan and put on fire.

   

   Experts recommend using light beer for brewing

2. While it is boiling, peel and chop the garlic finely.

   

   Use a knife or press, decide for yourself

3. Chop the parsley.

   

   Unlike the previous recipe, fresh herbs are required here.

4. And cut the lemon into slices along with the peel.

   

   There is no need to remove the zest

5. As soon as the beer starts to boil, add prepared herbs, lemon, garlic, spices to the pan and, last of all, add shrimp.

   

   "Bouillon" will turn out to be very spicy and rich in flavor combinations

6. Boil everything for 2–5 minutes, gently catch the shrimps from the broth and place on a dish.

   

   What you need to meet friends

For salad with dill and spices

Again, nothing prevents you from using conventionally cooked shrimp for the salad. The main thing is to take care to free them from the frozen ice in advance and throw them into the already well-boiled water - this will shorten the cooking time and will not allow the taste of the delicacy to go into the broth. But if you want to make it more intense, which is especially important in a salad, spend a little more time and acquire a few additional foods. It will be delicious.

You will need:

• shrimp - 500 g;
• water - 150 ml;
• butter - 3-4 tbsp. l.;
• garlic - 3-4 cloves;
• dill;
• lemon;
• spices and salt to taste.

If you like sesame oil, prepare that too. And besides, you can use any spices and herbs of your choice.

Cooking.

1. If using frozen shrimp, thaw it. Usually, this is not done before cooking, but we have a different situation: we will marinate our seafood. The easiest way to get rid of the ice is to put the crustaceans in a separate bowl and leave them in the refrigerator for 7–8 hours beforehand - this way the shrimps will retain not only all their taste, but also useful substances.

   

   Naturally thawed shrimp are healthier

2. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon.

   

   Half a lemon is enough

3. Chop the dill finely.

   

   Set aside some greenery for decoration

4. Peel and chop the garlic.

   

   Garlic will add extra flavor to the finished dish.

5. Combine all prepared ingredients in one bowl, add salt, spices, water. If you wish, add a couple of tablespoons of sesame oil and your favorite spices here, and then shake everything well and pour the shrimp with the resulting marinade. Leave them alone for 30 minutes.

   

   If desired, add ginger, hot red pepper and even … rum to the marinade!

6. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the shrimp with the marinade, cover with water, cover and simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the dish rise under the lid for another quarter of an hour.

   

   Saturated taste is provided for shrimp

Cooking king prawns in a slow cooker

Pots and stove have not been dominant in our kitchens for a long time. They are slowly but surely being replaced by multicooker and other technical innovations. Have you already got hold of this useful invention? Then feel free to cook seafood in a slow cooker, it's elementary simple.

You will need:

• water - 1 l;
• shrimp - 500 g;
• salt.

Cooking.

1. Prepare the shrimp: rinse the fresh ones, simply pour the frozen ones into a suitable container.

   

   Peeling shrimp is not worth it

2. Place the seafood in a multicooker bowl, add salt and water.

   

   The multicooker will cope with the task in a few minutes

3. Set the "Steam" mode and time. For fresh shrimp, 3-5 minutes is enough, for frozen - 10.

   

   Press "Start" and wait for the result

4. As soon as the specified time has elapsed, you can open the multicooker, transfer the shrimp to the dish and serve them on the table.

   

   Lemon or lime juice is a traditional shrimp seasoning

In the microwave

If not everyone has a multicooker, then almost everyone has a microwave. With its help, it will not be difficult to cook the coveted seafood.

You will need:

• water - 1.5 l;
• shrimp - 500 g;
• salt.

Cooking.

1. Place the shrimp in a suitable microwave-safe dish and cover with water. Add salt and, if necessary, other spices.

   

   Remember that a microwave oven requires special utensils.

2. Place the bowl in the microwave and press the start button. The maximum power is needed, the time is 3 minutes.

   

   You need to cook shrimp in the microwave in two steps.

3. As soon as 3 minutes have elapsed, open the door, gently stir the shrimp with a spoon and return them to the oven for another 3 minutes. Then transfer the prepared seafood to a platter and pour with lemon juice.

   

   And without the pan, the result is excellent.

Appetizing bonus: shrimp salad

The combination of tender shrimp meat with sweet pineapple and your favorite cheese is triple advantageous. First, it's delicious. Secondly, exquisite. And thirdly, such a salad will perfectly fit into the menu of your New Year's table, so just in case, take a note of the recipe.

You will need:

• shrimp - 400-500 g;
• canned pineapple - 600 g;
• hard cheese - 150 g;
• eggs - 3 pcs.;
• green onions;
• mayonnaise;
• salt.

Cooking.

1. Boil the shrimps in salted water and remove the shells.

   

   Choose the cooking method to your liking

2. Boil the eggs, peel and chop with a coarse grater.

   

   The salad will turn out delicious and colorful

3. Grate the cheese too.

   

   Cheese can be anything, even sausage

4. Chop the onion.

   

   And a spicy taste, and another bright touch for a festive dish

5. Drain the pineapple and cut the pulp into medium-sized pieces.

   

   Chop pineapple randomly

6. Set aside some of the cheese, and mix the rest of the ingredients, season with mayonnaise and put on a dish. Sprinkle everything with grated cheese set aside.

   

   Arrange the salad however you wish

Video: how to cook shrimp for sushi and rolls

The delicious gift of the sea - shrimp - not in vain has earned the love and recognition of millions of gourmets around the world. It is tasty, healthy, allows you to drink beer with friends, and to lay a romantic dinner for two, and to prepare an elegant dish for a festive table. Be sure to master a couple of the most convenient, in your opinion, methods of cooking shrimp, they will help you out more than once.