Buzz
Shrimp is a fantastic seafood dish with tender and sweet meat. It cooks in just a few minutes, and you can enhance the flavor by adding a slice of lemon. Here’s how to cook shrimp or prawns properly for the best taste. For the most delicious result, use freshly caught, wild shrimp.
Ingredients
- 0.45 kg of fresh wild shrimp
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3-4 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning to boost flavor
- Ice water
- 1 lemon, halved for garnish
Steps
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. The water should be enough to completely submerge the shrimp, about 2.5-5 cm higher than the shrimp.
- Add the following to the water:
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- A pinch of salt.
- Seasoning. You can use Zatarain's Shrimp Boil seasoning or Old Bay Seasoning, or a combination of both. Use one packet of Zatarain's, or 3-4 tablespoons of Old Bay, or one packet of Zatarain's with 1 tablespoon of Old Bay.
Boil the water for a few more minutes to dissolve the seasoning. This step helps transform plain water into a flavorful broth or brine that you will use to cook the shrimp.
Add the fresh shrimp to the water. Most chefs agree that shrimp cooked with their heads and shells on (though peeling them afterward may be a bit of a hassle) taste better and have a stronger aroma. If desired, you can remove the black vein along the back of the shrimp before adding them to the pot.
Boil the shrimp until some begin to float to the surface. Boiling time isn't fixed, but smaller shrimp (more than 50 per 0.5 kg) will take about 2-3 minutes, while larger shrimp (around 30 per 0.5 kg) will take about 5-7 minutes. However, this is just a general guide.
- If you'd like to check for doneness, the shrimp will be ready when the thickest part of the meat turns opaque.
- Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. Overcooked shrimp will become tough and chewy. Turn off the heat as soon as a few shrimp start to float to the top.
Transfer the shrimp to a strainer and immediately dip it into a bowl of ice water. Simply dip the strainer into the ice water and take it out right away. This step helps stop the shrimp from continuing to cook.
Allow the shrimp to drain completely, then arrange them on a plate and garnish with half a lemon. Enjoy your dish!
Tip
- Avoid overcooking the shrimp, as this will make them tough and diminish their flavor.
- You can add 2-4 cloves of garlic and/or 1-2 onions to the boiling water for an extra burst of flavor.
- Shrimp that have been stored for a long time or frozen are harder to peel.
- Prepare a cocktail sauce by mixing ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and honey.
- To make a Low Country Boil, add potatoes, sausage, and onions when seasoning the water, then boil until the potatoes are about two-thirds cooked. Afterward, add shrimp, corn on the cob, crabs, and crawfish. These ingredients cook at the same rate as shrimp, so when the shrimp float to the surface, you can remove them and serve on a prepared table.
- Covering the pot will help cook the shrimp faster, but be careful not to overcook them.
Warning
- Be cautious with boiling water.
