Shrimp are easy to prepare, nutritious and low in fat. Adaptable with many sauces and preparations, their versatility makes them an ideal ingredient in appetizers, soups and main courses.
To document a meal I made for dinner, I posted a video of shrimps charring on a stove top grill. A friend followed my visual directions but was disappointed with the result. The shrimp were not tasty in the way she expected.
She asked for suggestions. I had a few.
Where to buy shrimp and which shrimp to buy
First off, finding good shrimp isn’t easy. After years of hit or miss sources (sometimes even the most expensive fish market/upscale grocery store would have shrimp that were fresh and sometimes not so fresh), I found a good shrimp in Los Angeles at Ralph’s Market/owned by Krogers.
You probably already know this but always buy shrimp in the shell. If you can find “Ez-Peel” shrimp, that’s good because the back of the shrimp’s shell has already been cut and the back vein already (mostly) removed.
As to size, I prefer medium (31/35 per lb.) sized shrimp. The shrimp at Ralph's are farm raised. Their texture and flavor are very good. Wild shrimp will cost more. When buying from a new-to-you vendor, try different sizes, farmed and fresh shrimp to find what you like.
When you get the shrimp home, you can peel them or not but rinse them in clean water and refrigerate in an air-tight container. Use them within 1-2 days.
When you’re ready to cook them, rinse again. if the shrimp are Ez-Peel, remove the shells with your fingers. If not, run a sharp pairing knife down the back of each shrimp to remove the shells.
My mother, who lived in Costa Rica and ate a lot of rice there, taught me to put the shells into a small saucepan, cover with water, simmer and strain and save the broth to use in soups and sauces. Very tasty.
Wash the peeled shrimp and remove the black vein that runs along the back.
Rinse again. Now they are ready to cook. Cooking shrimp is very easy. The trick is they cook very quickly.
Salt boiling shrimp
If you want shrimp for a shrimp cocktail or in a salad, heat water in a small saucepan. Use enough water to cover by 1” the amount of shrimp.
Boil the water. Add a pinch of kosher salt (only kosher salt made by Diamond Crystal because they don’t use additives) or sea salt.
Add the shrimp. They will cook quickly. Within 20-30 SECONDS.
Drain and cool by putting ice cubes with the shrimp. Drain. Serve cold or at room temperature or refrigerate in an airtight container.
Grilling or sautéing shrimp
Toss the peeled and deveined shrimp in a bowl with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Using a grill or sautéed pan (cast iron or carbon steel is preferred), place the shrimp individually onto the hot surface. Using tongs, turn them within 5-10 seconds. Cook briefly on each side and remove.
The grill I use is a stove-top grill that does a great job with easy clean up. And, it is very inexpensive. Here’s a link to the grill on Amazon.
Grilled shrimp can be served with a chopped vegetable salad (as in the video) or as an appetizer with a cocktail or remoulade sauce.
Shrimp with sauce
Shrimp can be served with any number of cold or heated sauces. My favorite cocktail sauce is a classic. Catsup, lemon juice, capers, grated horseradish and Worcester sauce on the side and Saltine crackers.
When adding shrimp to curry or a Mexican garlic sauce, add the shrimp just before serving remembering to cook them for only a minute or two to keep them juicy.
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