Shrimp is the most popular seafood product, which won the hearts of gourmets many centuries ago. We value them not only for their exotic gastronomic qualities, but also for their high nutritional value. They are rich in protein, microelements, vitamins A, D, E and the entire group B. And they have a surprisingly low calorie content - only 97 kcal per 100 g.
But in our latitudes, crustaceans are sold only after deep freezing, so they require careful heat treatment. Otherwise, the delicacy will become “rubbery” and, moreover, will lose most of its beneficial properties. To avoid this, you need to know how to properly cook frozen shrimp.
Before choosing a particular pack of shrimp in the supermarket, pay attention to their condition. A low-quality product will not bring the desired pleasure, even if you cook it according to all technological rules.
- “Correct” shrimp should have the same size, an even layer of ice on the surface of each individual, uniform color, a shiny surface of the shell and a curved tail (only for small shrimp).
A curved tail indicates that the shrimp were frozen quickly. The more curved it is, the less they were kept outdoors.
- The head and body of the shrimp can acquire a green color, this is due to the fact that the diet of crustaceans can include a variety of plankton. This product is suitable for use.
- A brown head is generally a great sign! This shrimp is pregnant, which means its meat is more tasty and healthy.
- But you shouldn’t buy black-headed shrimp. This is a sign of illness, which will certainly affect the taste.
- Boiled-frozen (W/O) and fresh-frozen (S/F), peeled and unpeeled shrimp are available for sale. The best option is freshly frozen, unpeeled. They retained more nutrients and did not lose their inherent pronounced taste.
On the packaging of shrimp you can find mysterious numbers: 16/20, 20/35, 90/120... They display the actual number of individuals in 1 kg (from and to), and therefore their size. The lower the numbers, the larger the shrimp!
- Dull spots on the shell and the presence of “snowballs” in the bag indicate a violation of the temperature regime.
- Check the production date; even frozen shrimp cannot retain their flavor indefinitely. The richest and most flavorful crustaceans are those that have been in the freezer for no more than 2 months.
- The permissible layer of glaze should not exceed 1 mm, the rest is wasted money.
How to defrost shrimp
The product must be defrosted before cooking. It's best to think ahead and place the shrimp in the bottom of the refrigerator overnight to let them thaw on their own. Or unpack and put in a warm place.
But if “time is running out,” transfer the shrimp from the package to a sieve and hold under cool running water. Over time, the ice crust will thaw and drain, and with it the dirt.
Important! Do not use quick defrosting in the microwave oven; the shrimp will become limp and tasteless.
How to peel frozen shrimp
If you are preparing shrimp as a separate dish, do not deprive your guests of the opportunity to peel them themselves. Just don’t forget to place a bowl of water and lemon next to each device for washing your hands.
But if you are boiling shrimp for salad, pasta or soup, you will have to peel them in advance.
For raw ones, especially for large crustaceans (tiger and king prawns), this method is suitable. Remove the shell by trimming it along the back with scissors, and then remove the remaining chitinous plates. Find a brown thread in the cut on its back - this is the gastrointestinal tract, which should be removed.
They also get rid of the legs, but it’s better to leave the head; shrimp with the head look more impressive and retain more nutrients when cooked.
Boiled specimens can be easily cleaned with your hands, holding the shrimp by the head. First, the paws and part of the shell are removed, then the head and the remaining shell below are torn off, pulling off the tail.
How to cook frozen shrimp
A large and spacious pan is selected, and 2.5 times more water is poured than there are shrimp. They should “float” freely during the cooking process.
Add some salt to the water, squeeze out half a lemon, add spices and only after boiling add the shrimp. Definitely defrosted!
When cooking shrimp in the shell, add 2 tbsp. l. salt per liter of liquid, purified - 2 times less.
To emphasize the exotic taste of shrimp, you can add any spices to the water. Shrimp “love them very much”!
The main thing is that they are in harmony with each other, otherwise the idea will work the other way around and the spices will overwhelm the delicate sea aroma.
Good combinations of spices for marinade:
- Salt, lemon juice, cloves or peppercorns.
- Cloves, grapefruit juice, coriander.
- Dry wine, garlic, finely grated carrots. Wine and water are taken in a ratio of 1 to 4.
- Fresh or dried dill, allspice, bay leaf. Boil the marinade for 10 minutes, then add the shrimp.
- Spices, black and red peppercorns, beer (300 g per 1 kg of shrimp).
- Allspice, cloves, lemon juice, bay leaf, 2 cloves of garlic, a little tomato paste, paprika and salt. All spices are added before boiling, and the bay leaf is added a minute before they are ready.
If the shrimp have floated to the surface, turned red (for raw ones), the meat has become white, and the shell has become more transparent - they are ready!
How long does it take to cook frozen shrimp?
Shrimp meat consists almost entirely of protein, and it quickly coagulates in boiling water. Therefore, be attentive to the cooking process and do not overcook the “outlandish crustaceans.”
If you immerse the shrimp in cold water after cooking, they will be easier to peel.
On average, fresh frozen shrimp are cooked from 2 to 10 minutes depending on size:
- Ordinary(small) it is not recommended to cook them more 2 minutes.
- Royal(refer to the previous type, but slightly larger) boil 3-5 minutes.
- Brindle(body length reaches 36 cm) cannot be cooked more 10 minutes.
Important! For boiled-frozen shrimp, the cooking time is reduced to one minute!
Features of cooking boiled-frozen shrimp
To make the dish more delicious, you can heat the boiled shrimp in the sauce over low heat. For example, in sour cream, tomato or cream. For any option, first prepare the sauce, then add the shrimp and heat for 7-10 minutes.
- Sour cream sauce for shrimp: melt butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan, add finely chopped herbs, pour in sour cream, salt, pepper and heat without letting it boil.
- Tomato sauce: Peel the tomatoes, chop the pulp, add tomato paste, salt, pepper, and fresh chopped herbs.
- Cream sauce: pour thick cream into a wide-bottomed bowl, add salt and pepper, squeeze out the lemon and add shrimp immediately before boiling. You can add chopped and fried spinach to the sauce.
How to boil shrimp using household appliances
Many people have modern appliances in their kitchens. If so, you can resort to their help:
- Shrimp in a steamer. Salt and pepper the shrimp, sprinkle with lemon juice, place in a container, put a few slices of lemon on top and cook for 7-15 minutes, depending on the size.
- In a slow cooker. Season the shrimp with olive oil, lemon juice and spices. Transfer the mixture to a multicooker container with water (2 liters per 1 kg) and set the “quenching” mode. Or do not add water and turn on the “baking” mode.
- In a pressure cooker. Place the processed shrimp in a pressure cooker, add salt, season and add a little water. Continue cooking for no more than 2 minutes, selecting “frying seafood”.
- In the microwave shrimp are cooked in their own juice, so they become especially aromatic and tasty. And so that they do not soften during quick cooking, you need to dry them after defrosting, placing them on a dry towel or napkin.
Then place it in a sleeve and add a small amount of water mixed with oil. You need to make a couple of holes in the sleeve with an ordinary needle and simmer the shrimp in the microwave for 5 minutes at medium power.
Boiled shrimp are a worthy dish for a holiday table. Don't overcook them, feel free to use spices and impress your guests with skillfully prepared seafood!
Delicious gourmet seafood dishes are always popular all over the world. Among them, shrimp occupy a special place.
Their delicate, refined taste has won the hearts of seafood lovers. Once upon a time they were a real rarity; not everyone could afford to eat juicy shrimp. Nowadays, a huge variety of species of these crustaceans are freely available.
A huge amount of nutrients, low calorie content (90 kcal per 100 grams) and excellent taste - these are the secrets of the popularity of these sea crustaceans.
The price of shrimp per kilogram depends on their size; large ones are the most expensive. There are usually about 20 pieces per kilogram, and about 100 small crustaceans.
Packages of seafood delicacies are labeled indicating the number of shrimp per kilogram. So, on the packaging of medium-sized specimens it is indicated 90/120 (90-120 pieces per kilogram), large ones - 70/90, very large ones - 50/70. The smallest ones are marked 90+.
The main types of edible shrimp are classic, royal and tiger.
Subtleties of choice
These crustaceans usually reach our shelves frozen. They can be frozen immediately after catching, or boiled and frozen.
When choosing a delicacy, you should pay attention to the following points:
So, the choice has been made, the ideal shrimp have been purchased - fresh frozen gray-brown in color. All that’s left to do is cook the delicacy correctly.
How and for how long to cook boiled-frozen, unpeeled shrimp in a saucepan
Since boiled-frozen unpeeled shrimp are more common in our stores, we will primarily discuss their preparation. They have a soft pink color. They need to be cooked in a saucepan in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until they float to the surface. For better taste, add peppercorns and bay leaves to the water.
In addition to the classic methods of cooking shrimp, there are several non-standard, but popular recipes for their preparation.
For example, you can boil this delicacy in spicy brine. To do this, add a couple of tablespoons of adjika, onion, bay leaf, and red pepper to boiling water. Simmer the brine for 3 minutes, and then add shrimp to it and cook for 3-10 minutes, depending on the size.
This dish is very good with Provençal herbs.
Boiled and frozen unpeeled specimens turn out very tasty in beer brine. Mix two liters of water with 0.5 beer, add bay leaf, pepper, after boiling, add crustaceans and cook for a couple of minutes.
Seafood goes well with lemon juice. Add three liters of water, juice of half a lemon, bay leaf, salt and pepper to the pan. Boil the brine for a couple of minutes, remove from heat and put shrimp in it for 5 minutes.
How to cook frozen unpeeled shrimp
Unpeeled frozen seafood is green in color. Before cooking, they are thawed and washed.
You need to pour cold water into the pan at the rate of 2 liters of water per 1 kilogram of shrimp. Add salt and spices to taste and bring to a boil. Place the crustaceans into the pan. Frozen, unpeeled shrimp take longer to cook than boiled frozen shrimp, about 10 minutes.
You can add cloves, allspice, and bay leaves as spices. The readiness of such shrimp is determined by the color of the shell - when the shrimp are ready, the shell becomes transparent.
You can make a delicious broth by cooking unpeeled frozen shrimp. To do this, add 4 to 5 cloves, the same amount of peppercorns, bay leaf, half a lemon, a peeled head of garlic, a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste and salt to boiling water. When the broth boils completely, add the delicacy and cook for 10 minutes. The dish turns out very aromatic and the taste is delicate.
How to properly cook king and tiger prawns (frozen, unpeeled)
Royals are ordinary shrimp, only large in size. Therefore, they are cooked according to the same scheme, only the heat treatment time increases. Add spices and salt to cold water, bring to a boil and add shrimp. Unpeeled frozen king crustaceans need to be cooked for about 10 minutes.
It turns out very tasty if you boil king prawns in the sauce. To do this, add about 20 grams of olive oil to the stewing container, lay out the onion in half rings, a couple of cloves of garlic, a glass of water and half a kilo of seafood. They are boiled in this sauce for 10 minutes. Crayfish prepared in this way are served with a side dish or as a separate dish.
Tigers are boiled for 7-8 minutes until the color changes from gray to orange. The classic recipe for frozen unpeeled tiger shrimp looks like this. You need to pour water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, add salt.
For better taste, add allspice, bay leaf and a little garlic. The shrimp are first defrosted and washed with water, then placed in the broth and boiled for 7 minutes.
Tiger shrimp meat is very tender, so it is recommended to defrost it naturally. Soaking in hot water or microwave will not work here.
Fans of original recipes can prepare an unusual dish by boiling tiger shrimp in wine. To do this, you need to mix water and wine in equal proportions, bring the liquid to a boil, add salt and pepper, finely chopped onions and carrots.
After 8-10 minutes, remove the shrimp. Add lemon juice and a little butter to the broth. After a little liquid remains, pour it over the cooked delicacies and leave for half an hour.
Methods for cooking unpeeled frozen shrimp in gadgets
You can cook delicious crustaceans not only in a saucepan.
To cook unpeeled frozen shrimp, add water, salt, pepper, bay leaf, a couple of garlic cloves, and a spoonful of butter to the multicooker bowl. Cook on “soup” mode for 5-6 minutes. After cooking, it is recommended to sprinkle these seafood with lemon juice.
To prepare a delicacy in a double boiler, you need to fill the bowl with water to the special mark. Sprinkle the shrimp with special seasonings for seafood and let it brew for a few minutes. Then we distribute them at the bottom of the steamer bowl.
Place lemon, carrots, onions and celery cut into slices on top. Steam the dish for 15-20 minutes. You can make a very tasty sauce with it by mixing lemon juice with butter.
A quick and tasty dish - shrimp in the microwave. Place the defrosted crustaceans in a microwave-safe container and add two tablespoons of soy sauce mixed with the same amount of water. Mix the crustaceans thoroughly and place them in the microwave for 3 minutes at maximum power. Then take it out, mix again and set for another 3 minutes.
What problems may arise during the cooking process and how to solve them
The main problem that can be encountered in the process of boiling sea crustaceans using any method is turning them into tasteless rubber. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor the cooking time. This is the case when it is better to undercook than to overcook.
It is important to remember that the smaller the seafood, the less time it takes to cook.
Also, very often when cooking, gourmets are faced with the problem of how much salt to put. Here you need to consider the form in which the delicacy is cooked. Unpeeled sea crustaceans require twice as much salt as processed ones. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about over-salting unprocessed shrimp.
How and with what to serve boiled shrimp
Like other seafood, shrimp goes well with vegetables and rice. Shrimp paste is popular in many European countries. You can serve them not only with wheat noodles, but also with rice or buckwheat noodles.
These seafood are an indispensable ingredient in some salads. Caesar salads with shrimp and Seafood salad are very popular in restaurants.
The classic combination is shrimp and beer. If they are offered as an independent dish, be sure to sprinkle them with lemon juice and serve them with various sauces.
Delicate pink shrimp surrounded by greenery and lemon slices will be an ideal table decoration for any occasion. Even if you're just watching football with beer, a nice shrimp dish will add a special atmosphere to the event.
Bon appetit!
The following video shows in detail how to cook shrimp.
Broccoli is a controversial vegetable: despite the fact that it is a treasure trove of vitamins and a storehouse of microelements, most residents of the post-Soviet space do not have warm feelings towards it.
The reason for this is banal - many simply do not know the true taste of such a product. But it has long been proven that it depends entirely on compliance with the cooking technology. That’s why it’s important to know how to cook frozen broccoli and what “goodies” you can make from it.
Do I need to defrost broccoli before cooking?
Why are we talking about frozen cabbage? Yes, because in this form it is available all year round, which allows you to include it in your diet even in winter. However, do you need to defrost broccoli before cooking?
This is not recommended for a number of reasons:
Most of the vitamins will disappear irrevocably.
The inflorescences will become shapeless, turning into mush after cooking.
When trying to cook broccoli correctly, remove the bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer immediately before putting it in boiling water.
If the pieces are frozen and stuck together, defrost them just enough to be able to separate the inflorescences.
How and how long to cook frozen broccoli in a saucepan
When choosing a pan for cooking, it is important to follow several rules:
We use large containers so that the inflorescences touch each other less during cooking.
Pour in just enough water so that the vegetables are only lightly covered.
Dip the cabbage into lightly salted, boiling liquid.
Cook after boiling for 2 to 5 minutes. The duration of boiling depends on the size of the inflorescences: the larger they are, the longer the heat treatment lasts.
Remove the finished vegetable from boiling water. Left in it, it will simply quickly “creep away.”
How to cook broccoli in a saucepan step by step:
Place the bowl of water over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
Salt to taste (approximate proportions: 0.5 tsp salt per liter of water).
Place frozen inflorescences (or a whole head).
We wait until the water boils again, then turn the heat to low.
Cook the cabbage for the required number of minutes until done.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the inflorescences, place them on a plate, and pour melted butter or vegetable oil over them.
What can you make from boiled broccoli?
Cream soup
The undisputed leader among broccoli dishes. Cooking time: ~20 minutes.
Ingredients:
half a kilo of boiled broccoli;
2 large potatoes;
1 onion;
1 carrot;
salt, garlic, cream - to taste;
butter for frying;
croutons, herbs - for decoration when serving.
Step by step recipe:
Cut the potatoes into cubes, add salt, and cook until tender in a minimum amount of water.
Saute the grated carrots and diced onions in a frying pan in butter.
Mix the prepared vegetables and beat until smooth with a blender.
Add cream, adjusting the desired thickness of the soup.
If necessary, add salt. If you like garlic, add it after crushing it in the garlic press. Bring the soup to a boil. Serve sprinkled with croutons and garnish with parsley sprigs, mint leaves or other favorite herbs. Cream can be replaced with processed cheese with a creamy taste. We add it to the potatoes during the cooking stage.
Frittata
Broccoli goes perfectly with eggs. The finished dish turns out bright, with an unusual delicate taste.
Cooking time: ∼10 minutes.
Ingredients:
3 eggs;
100 – 150 g of boiled cabbage inflorescences;
1 onion (it’s better to take a sweet one);
1 pepper (choose red or bright orange);
salt, paprika, ground black pepper - to taste;
olive + butter for frying;
greens for decoration.
Step by step recipe:
We cut the vegetables: broccoli into pieces, onions into small cubes or half rings, pepper into thin strips.
Melt the butter in the olive oil and fry the vegetable mixture for 4 minutes over medium heat.
Beat the eggs, add the indicated spices to taste, and add salt.
Pour the whipped mixture over the vegetables, cover with a lid, and leave for 3 to 5 minutes until the eggs set.
Using a spatula, carefully fold the frittata in half (similar to a book), transfer to a plate, and sprinkle with your favorite herbs.
Broccoli fried in breadcrumbs
This is the simplest recipe that allows you to cook delicious broccoli. This makes the cabbage aromatic and crispy.
Cooking time: ∼15 minutes.
Ingredients:
boiled broccoli – 500 g;
breadcrumbs – 40 g;
butter – 30 – 50 g.
Step by step recipe:
We cut large inflorescences in half, leaving small ones whole.
Generously coat the cabbage in breadcrumbs.
Fry it until golden brown over medium heat in pre-melted butter for about 2 - 3 minutes on each side.
Serve as a separate dish or as a side dish for meat.
Bon appetit!
Shrimp is a healthy seafood, rich in protein, protein, calcium, zinc, and a large amount of iodine. The product will be useful at any age and for any gender: children need it for growth, strengthening bones and mental development; for adults, it is good for immunity, women's and men's health, and acts as a mild aphrodisiac.
Find out below how to cook frozen shrimp so that they turn out tender, tasty, aromatic, and most importantly, healthy.
Pour a pack of shrimp into the pan. It is important that there are no frozen pieces on the carcasses. Rinse under cold water.
In a separate pan, boil 2 liters of water, add salt and spices. As soon as the water boils, pour in the seafood, stir and leave to simmer under the lid. Then cook for 1.5-2 minutes and drain the water.
The dish is ready. Can be served with various sauces, or added to salad.
How long does it take to cook?
The harm of undercooked shrimp is clear - raw seafood can, at best, simply cause an upset stomach, and at worst, serious poisoning.
But the product cannot be digested either: in addition to the destruction of beneficial vitamins, the taste of the product deteriorates, the meat becomes tough and less rich.
How long to cook shrimp:
- The recommended cooking time for regular shrimp is 2 minutes after boiling.
- Tiger boil for 7 minutes.
- Royals will need 10 minutes after the water starts boiling.
Approximate proportions
Properly boiled seafood has a rich taste and appetizing aroma. The smell and color are significantly affected by the amount of salt and spices with which the product is cooked. You can, of course, boil it without additives, but the taste will be rather bland.
Seafood does not absorb salt well, so you need to add more of it. To enrich the taste, bay leaves, different varieties of peppercorns, fresh herbs, etc. are used.
Based on 2 liters of water, take products in the following quantities:
- 400 g frozen shrimp;
- 50 grams of salt for peeled seafood and 90 grams for unpeeled seafood;
- 100 grams of fresh parsley or dill;
- 2 bay leaves;
- 15 black peppercorns;
- 5 peas of allspice.
Of the above seafood additives, salt is required, and other products can be added as desired and in various combinations.
How to cook king prawns deliciously?
King prawns will turn out very tasty if you cook them in garlic-soy sauce:
- 10 shrimp, pre-cleaned from shell and entrails;
- 2 tsp. soy sauce;
- 1 tbsp salt;
- 2 dry coriander roots;
- 1 tsp. oyster sauce (optional);
- 1 tbsp. l. crushed garlic;
- 1 tbsp. l. chopped green onions;
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper;
- 1 tsp. garlic sauce.
How to properly and tasty cook shrimp: first we prepare the shrimp meat - we remove the shell and intestines in advance, but leave the head. Cut lengthwise so that the body opens up like a fan. We put water and salt to boil, and when it boils, put the main ingredient into it. The water will stop boiling, you need to wait for a new boil and time it for 10 minutes.
While the seafood is cooking, prepare the sauce. This is very easy to do: grind the coriander root using a coffee grinder or other convenient method; mix the garlic mass with coriander, pepper and pre-prepared sauces.
By the end of cooking the sauce, the seafood will be ready. We put them on a dish and put a little prepared sauce on top of each carcass. Sprinkle chopped onion feathers for decoration. Delicious king prawns are ready!
The classic way to cook unpeeled shrimp for salad
Since in this version the shrimp will act as one of the ingredients for a complex dish, they do not need a lot of spices. As part of the salad, seafood meat will be saturated with the taste of other products, and will make it more piquant.
Therefore, for boiling it will be enough to use the following list of ingredients:
- 450 grams of small unpeeled shrimp;
- 1.5 liters of water;
- 1 tbsp salt;
- 1 bay leaf.
We dilute the salt in water and put it on fire. Rinse the shrimp in a colander under running water. When the brine boils, add the bay leaf and boil for 3-4 minutes so that the brine acquires a spicy aroma. Then add seafood and cook for 2-3 minutes. We take them out with a slotted spoon and leave them to cool for 10 minutes. During this time, excess liquid drains from them after cooking, it needs to be drained. Peel off the shell and add to the salad. A few carcasses can be left to decorate the dish.
In spicy brine
This option will help you quickly prepare a delicious appetizer that can be served immediately. Suitable as an independent dish for alcoholic drinks or for decorating tartlets.
- 300 g peeled medium shrimp;
- 1 liter of water;
- 150 g dill;
- 1 bay leaf;
- 1 tbsp. l. salt;
- 4 allspice.
Rinse the shrimp in plain water. Add salt, pepper and bay leaves to the cooking water and set to boil. While the brine is preparing, rinse the greens, pat them dry with a towel and chop them as finely as possible.
By this time the brine should already boil. Add shrimp and herbs to it at the same time, stir, wait for it to boil and set aside for 5 minutes. After this, we take it out onto a dish with a slotted spoon along with the greens. Dill adds an interesting aroma to seafood, and when served, it looks like a garnish for a finished dish.
Cook boiled-frozen unpeeled shrimp in beer brine
An unusual way to cook seafood - with the addition of beer:
- frozen unpeeled shrimp - 750 g;
- water - 3l;
- bay leaf - 2 pcs;
- allspice - 2 pcs;
- black pepper - 4 pcs;
- salt - 2 tbsp. l;
- beer - 300ml.
Prepare the shrimp as follows: boil water, add salt and spices, simmer for another 2-3 minutes until the brine is saturated with the flavor of the spices. Then add the seafood and wait until it boils. As soon as it starts to boil, note the time and cook depending on the type of shrimp. After collecting with a slotted spoon, leave to cool for 15 minutes and remove the shell, heads and entrails. Serve with sauces.
The appetizer goes well with creamy, garlic, tomato, sour cream and cheese sauces.
On a note. To make the shrimp easy to clean, immediately after cooking they need to be doused with ice water. Then the shell will be very easy to separate from the meat.
How and how much to steam in a slow cooker?
Steamed shrimp retain their juiciness and vitamins better:
- 500 g peeled shrimp
- 1.5 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp ground pepper.
Thaw seafood and rinse thoroughly to remove sand through a colander. Allow excess liquid to drain. Place the main ingredient in a multicooker bowl, add salt and pepper and stir. Close the lid and turn on the appliance in the “Baking” mode for a third of an hour.
Important! There is no need to add water to cook the dish.
Prawns prepared in this way are well suited for further use in salads and appetizers. If you plan to serve the shrimp as an appetizer, drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh chopped dill.
At first glance, there is nothing complicated about how to properly boil shrimp. You just need to read the instructions on the package and follow them carefully. Practice shows that this may not be enough to obtain the desired result. When a product is boiled for salad, it needs one approach. Prawns served as a separate dish require special handling. Considering the fact that in our region we most often have to cook frozen ingredients, this point should also be taken into account when choosing a recipe.
How to choose quality frozen shrimp?
First of all, you need to learn how to choose the right semi-finished product. It doesn’t matter whether it goes on a salad or serves as a snack for beer, you should adhere to the following rules:
- High cost is not an indicator of quality. You should not choose the most expensive one from the offered options; you must first evaluate the products. If frozen shrimp are not sold in transparent packaging and cannot be seen, we immediately discard this option.
- Despite the fact that the main catch of the product falls on Asian countries, producers from Europe pay much more attention to the quality of the product.
- You should not buy seafood if the package contains individuals with black heads. This is a sign that the animals are infected and the consequences of their consumption can be very negative.
- It is also better to avoid shrimp carcasses without heads. Firstly, it is difficult to achieve the desired degree of juiciness from such a component. Secondly, the heads could have been removed precisely because they indicated low quality of the individuals.
- But the brown heads belong to pregnant individuals. Their meat, on the contrary, is very nutritious and healthy.
- Small shrimp are ideal for salad. They must be very fresh, as evidenced by their curled tail.
- Quality frozen shrimp should be the same size and shape. They cannot be presented as a sticky lump; it is good when each element is separated from the total mass. There should be no snow or pieces of ice in the bag.
- The gray color of the shrimp indicates that they were frozen raw. Pink indicates their pre-heat treatment. The presence of stains and dents on the shells should alert you. There is no need to be afraid of green heads; this is simply a result of the particular diet of the individuals.
According to experienced chefs, it is best to purchase preparations for salad that have not undergone any heat treatment. A boiled frozen product sometimes contains salt or some additional ingredients, which can cause the taste of the finished dish to change.
Do I need to defrost shrimp before cooking?
Disputes on this topic have not subsided for many years and there is still no consensus. Both options have the right to exist, and each cook must decide for himself what to do. First of all, you need to carefully read the instructions for the recipe you like. The procedure for processing frozen and defrosted products may differ markedly, therefore the results in both cases will have their own specifics.
Tip: Despite the fact that today chefs have access to a wide variety of kitchen gadgets, it is better to boil shrimp in the traditional way, in a saucepan. Steamers, multicookers and microwave ovens are so capricious in terms of modes and timers that they can ruin a quality product.
Shrimps that will be added to the salad do not require complex processing, so it is better to boil them frozen. But if you want to prepare some unusual dish from a semi-finished product, you will have to spend a few minutes pre-preparing the component. This can be done in one of the following ways:
- Take the sealed bag of shrimp and immerse it in cool water for a few minutes. If the product was frozen correctly, it will thaw fairly quickly to the desired state and can be cleaned (when necessary).
- Frozen shrimp can be doused with boiling water to remove the top layer of ice. Some housewives mistakenly believe that boiled-frozen ingredients after such exposure can be immediately put into a salad. In fact, even if the products are pink and hot on the outside, they are still cold on the inside. So additional processing is required.
- Finally, the products can be defrosted in a microwave oven. It is better to use profile mode for this. If it is absent, set the device to minimum power and send the workpieces into it for a minute. If necessary, repeat the procedure.
There are many options for preparing frozen shrimp. If you wish, you can come up with your own recipes, you just need to adhere to the basic rules of the technological process.
How to deliciously boil frozen shrimp?
The shrimp from which you plan to prepare the salad should be bland and tasteless. To prepare them, just take boiling water and a colander. Place the product in a colander, filling no more than halfway. Pour boiling water over them, getting rid of the ice crust. When the water has drained, transfer the preparations into a pan and fill with fresh boiling water. Wait no more than 30 seconds and drain the liquid. The products remain to be cleaned and can be added to the salad.
If you want something special, you should try these approaches:
- In spicy water. We take frozen shrimp, a lot of water (twice the weight of seafood), bay leaves, clove buds, black pepper and lemon juice. Fill the main component with water and place on medium heat. As soon as signs of boiling appear, add all other ingredients and reduce the heat to low. Cooking time under a closed lid ranges from 2 minutes for small boiled-frozen shrimp, and 5 minutes for small raw shrimp, to 15 minutes for raw king prawns.
- In beer. For 1 kg of shrimp we take 2 liters of light unfiltered beer, a bunch of parsley, lemon and a couple of cloves of garlic. Pour beer into a saucepan and place the container on the fire. As soon as the drink boils, add chopped herbs, lemon juice, and chopped garlic. After a minute, lay out the shrimp and cook them under the lid after boiling again for 2 minutes for the cooked product and 5 minutes for the raw product.
Of course, products prepared in this way can also be added to a salad. But in this case, their taste characteristics should be taken into account so that the taste of the final dish does not turn out to be too rich.
What is the best way to boil thawed shrimp?
The main advantage of defrosted shrimp is that they can be peeled. After this, the product is washed in cold water and subject to processing. It is noteworthy that with such approaches the broth is an important part of the dish. There is no need to pour it out, the product is served directly in it.
- Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of a saucepan or large saucepan. When it warms up, place the finely chopped half of the onion in it and reduce the heat to medium.
- When the onion turns golden, add finely chopped garlic and immediately add the prepared shrimp (no more than 0.5 kg).
- Pour half a glass of water, add salt and spices. As soon as the mixture boils, turn the heat to low, close the container and cook the product for no more than 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Shrimps are also boiled in salted water, milk, and white wine. If desired, any of the recipes can be adapted, taking into account the type and quality of the semi-finished product. Usually such experiments end in the creation of culinary masterpieces.
