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Shrimp can be cooked in dozens of ways and they all taste good. The majority of shrimp eaten in the USA are consumed in restaurants, because many persons are timid about cooking shrimp at home. In fact, shrimp are simple to cook! We have included some general tips about cooking our shrimp. We are not professional cooks, so use these tips as general guides from one lay cook to another. We conclude this section with some proper recipes submitted by our clients. Please send us yours!
Overcooking
The most common error to cooking shrimp is to cook them too long! Overcooked shrimp become tough and loose their flavor. Our inland shrimp tend to cook even more quickly than oceanic shrimp, so be careful. Sample shrimp as you cook them and remove them from the heat while they are still tender. Remember that shrimp continue to cook after they are removed from the heat.
A Note About Frozen Shrimp
Thaw and drain shrimp to be fried, sautéed, broiled or grilled. Individually quick frozen (IQF) shrimp don’t need to be thawed before boiling or steaming as long as small amounts (1 to 2 lbs) are cooked at a time.
Boiling Shrimp
Our inland shrimp have a light, delicately sweet flavor compared with marine shrimp. This flavor may be best enjoyed by simply steaming the shrimp in salted water mixed with lemon juice. Although not necessary, some like to add herbs and spices to the water. Try the recipe printed on Old Bay shrimp seasoning containers.
Boil or steam shrimp with the shell on, because the shell adds significant flavor to the shrimp. Drop one to two pounds of fresh or IQF shell-on shrimp into boiling water previously salted and seasoned to taste. By the time the water comes back to a boil, the shrimp are probably done. They turn pink, then curl and float. Jumbo size shrimp may require another 30 to 60 seconds of boiling time compared with medium size shrimp. Remove the shrimp and briefly dip them in iced water to stop them cooking.
Sauté/Broil/Grill
These cooking methods are very different, but many of the same seasoning can be used in any method. The shrimp don’t have to be shelled before cooking, but they are usually easier to eat if they are. When sautéing, don’t cook too many shrimp at a time, because the moisture from the shrimp can end up steaming the shrimp.
One of the easiest and a very tasty way of cooking these shrimp is with a simple butter (or margarine) and garlic combination. Brown the garlic first in a stick of butter. Set the garlic/butter aside. Use enough of the butter mixture to coat each batch of shrimp well during cooking. Try adding a couple of shakes of basil and/or cayenne to enhance the flavor. A squeeze of lemon or lime adds a great tangy flavor.
Shrimp can be marinated an hour or two in any number of flavored sauces before cooking. A simple, but tasty marinade can be made with 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/2 lime or lemon, 1 or 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Add several shakes of cayenne for some added jolt.
Frying
We recommend that beginners use one of the shrimp breading mixes provided in stores. Follow directions on the bag. These breading mixes tend to be overly salted, so try cutting them with your own combination of equal parts corn meal and flour. Eventually, you’ll end up making your own breading mix, which best suites your own palate.
These are some recipes submitted by friends and clients of ours. Please submit your own recipes to share with others.
Shrimp Bisque
Shrimp Remoulade
Cajun Barbequed Shrimp
Courtesy of Doug Allen CEC
Yield: 1 gallon
Ingredients:
4 oz onions, fine diced
4 oz carrots, fine diced
2 oz butter, unsalted
2 lb shrimp, shell-on, medium to small
1 ea bay leaf, small
thyme, fresh, small stem
10-12 parsley, fresh, including stems
2 oz tomato paste
4 oz Brandy, warmed and alcohol burned off
12 oz wine, dry white
2 qt velouté, made from fish or seafood
1 qt stock, shrimp
16 oz heavy cream
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Old Bay seasoning to taste
Fresh parsley for garnish
Method:
Veloté
To 8 oz blonde roux add 2 ½ quarts shrimp stock. Simmer one hour while skimming foam from top.
Shrimp Stock
Finely dice 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, 1 part celery in small amount of butter.
Add a quantity of raw shrimp shells or the shell of the appropriate shellfish and sweat with the vegetables.
Add bay leaf, parsley, cracked black peppercorn, dried thyme, tied in cheesecloth for a “garni bouquet.”
Cover with water and simmer for at least one hour or until good flavor develops.
Strain through cheesecloth or fine chinois.
Blonde Roux
Blend equal parts by weight of flour and butter. Cook over low heat until lightly cooked but very little color develops.
(Approximately 1 ½ cups of flour to 1 cup of butter)
By Lee Kidd courtesy of Doug Allen
Ingredients:
½ cup of tarragon vinegar
4 Tbsp. Creole hot mustard
1 tsp. salt
Black and cayenne pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. of paprika
2 Tbsp. of tomato catsup
2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 toes of garlic, finely minced
1 cup of salad/vegetable oil
½ cup each of finely diced celery and green onions
4 Lbs. of boiled shrimp, peeled
Procedure:
Mix vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, catsup, lemon, and garlic. Add oil gradually to create emulsion, and then add the green onions and celery. Pour over shrimp in an airtight container and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight before serving over a green salad.By Barbara Bryan
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tsp. chili powder
1/4 Tsp. basil
1/2 Tsp. oregano
1 Tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp. any brand of shrimp/crab boil seasoning
1-1/2 lbs. lg. fresh shrimp, with shells
1/4 Tsp. thyme
1/2 Tsp. Tabasco
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Procedure:
In a small frying pan heat oil, and add the butter and all other ingredients except shrimp. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Place the shrimp (shells on) in an open baking dish and pour the sauce over the top. Stir once to coat the shrimp. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring twice while baking. Serve hot and at once. Have a towel ready because this most delicious dish is messy. Sauce is great for dipping French bread. Serves 4 to 6.