Cooking Shrimp

[kib]

I have some nice shrimp to prepare for dinner tonight, they're frozen but raw.

Does anyone have good tips for getting great flavor without overcooking? I swear, every time I so much as smile warmly in their direction, my shrimp wind up rubbery and sort of tasteless, a criminal waste of effort and enviro-guilt (as in, if I'm going to eat shrimp at all, they should at least be awesome).

[Blackdog Lin]

kib - I know it's too late.....but in my experience the trick is simply not to overcook them (though I am not an expert by any means - we don't get shrimp very often). I know my jambalaya recipe adds the shrimp in at the end for 3 minutes only. Our favorite in the last year is a Pinterest recipe wherein they go in the oven for a very short time tossed with a stick of butter - or less, I don't remember - and a packet of Good Seasons. It was wondermous and super easy.

Let us know what you did with them!

[kib]

I wound up marinating them first, then breading and pan sauteeing for two minutes in a mix of olive and coconut oil. I'm wondering if the marinade is a bad idea, it seems like even though they weren't overcooked, they weren't exactly tender either. And I also thought that although I never do it, deep frying might have been better, with two sided cooking there just isn't enough time to get the breading crunchy before the shrimp are overdone. I must say the flavor was vastly better this time! Thanks for your suggestion, next time I might try that butter in the oven idea, it sounds really good.

[profnot]

OT but just in case shrimp lovers don't know -

Some people, like me, are super alergic to shrimp and other shellfish. One prawn and I'm in hospital. 3 & I'm dead. Not good for the dog.

So never serve shellfish to guests unless you have asked each one beforehand if they are allergic.

Odd fact:
I can't eat shellfish but I CAN eat crab and lobster. (OK by me - they're my two favs.)
Turns out a shellfish that walks is significantly different than those which cannot.

So be very specific with your questions. THX

[Blackdog Lin]

http://myfridgefood.com/recipes/entree-seafood/best-best-shrimp/

Found it! This is what I did (I forgot all about the lemon slices) and it was truly wondermous, not to mention too easy. In fact, I'm thinking now this would be a super Christmas present for DH.

[kib]

Thank you, that really sounds easy and delicious. The bag of shrimp I bought has one more meal in it, so that's how I'll do them.

[bae]

Another pretty fail-proof method is to fine-chop the shrimp up with other nifty ingredients, stuff them into wrappers, and make dim sum.

[jeanniet]

Defrost the shrimp. Peel them. Finely chop a few cloves of garlic. Add it to the shrimp. Take about a teaspoon of cornstarch, pinch of salt add to shrimp and mix. keep in fridge until you are ready to cook. Add a bit of oil in a frying pan. Add the shrimp. Once the shrimp starts turning pale pink. Remove from stove. It's ready to be served.

[Float On]

Some people, like me, are super alergic to shrimp and other shellfish. One prawn and I'm in hospital. 3 & I'm dead.

I do a spicy shrimp and scallops over pasta and I have always asked guests way ahead of time if they have any shellfish allergies. So far no one as allergic as you thankfully because it's one of my husband's favorites. Curious how you found out and how close a call your first reaction was. Do you have to ingest or can even brushing against or inhaling cause a reaction.

[Float On]

I have a bag of shrimp in the freezer and that buttery recipe may get used this week. Yumm.

[Blackdog Lin]

Another pretty fail-proof method is to fine-chop the shrimp up with other nifty ingredients, stuff them into wrappers, and make dim sum.

Oh bae, both DH and I think dim sum is one of the things that they must serve in heaven, those dumplings are so wonderfully delicious. And I have a great shrimp-and-pork dumpling recipe that does just what you suggested, and they are indeed wondermous.

But in my old(er) age :) I am absolutely losing patience with the process of making them. I can't get the wrappers to seal (moisten with water, are you kidding me?!!!), they fall apart when I twist them, I end up basically making tiny egg rolls, I always forget that you can't steam more than one layer at a time and end up with a glutinous dumpling mess, and it feels like I've stood there at the kitchen counter for 2 hours making them. Bah! Last time I made them I had a temper tantrum and almost ended up throwing them at the walls.

I think I need to reserve dim sum to my list of big city fine dining.