Shrimp have recently become extremely popular. They can be increasingly found in the menu of expensive restaurants and ordinary beer establishments. People not only realized the benefits of these modest mollusks, but also appreciated their gentle, unique taste. Typically, shrimp are sold raw or cooked on a retail network. Boiled shrimp is usually consumed . They are used to make salads or as a simple beer snack. The boiled shrimp pulp should simply melt in the mouth, so the most important point is the heat treatment process.
Cooking shrimp is not very difficult. It takes a little time. But first, the mollusks need to be thawed. And you need to do this correctly so as not to spoil the taste of the final product. The main rule of defrosting is that you never need to rush. Do not put frozen shrimp in a microwave or in a container with hot water. This can only lead to a loss of aroma and all nutritional properties. No need to rush. Natural defrosting will take a little longer, but you will be completely sure that your product will retain everything for which you bought it.
Once the mollusks have thawed, you can start cooking them. But cooking shrimp does not mean throwing them into
boiling water, as is customary with other products. The cooking technology here is completely different. The procedure takes place in 4 stages:
- Boil the right amount of water.
- Add salt and spices that you consider necessary. Usually, black peas and bay leaves are used as such.
- Shrimps are dipped in the prepared solution for 3 or 4 minutes. Then turn off the fire and leave them in hot water for another 15 minutes, so that they can soak in spices.
- Ready shrimps are taken out of the water with a slotted spoon and used as directed.
The principle is quite simple, but here it is also necessary to take into account the size of the mollusks. Little ones cook faster. Cook shrimp large sizes need a little longer, about 5-6 minutes. The rest of the procedure remains the same. After boiling, the cooled product can be used as the main component for salads or just eat with beer, seizing a fragrant drink with tender and juicy meat.
Sometimes shrimp are sold live. Here you need to make sure that all the mollusks are really alive. They should be free to move and not cause suspicion of the buyer. In this case, there is no need to defrost them. Cooking is carried out in the usual manner.
Frozen mollusks (depending on the species) may have black, brown or gray carapace. In no case should they be covered with a layer of snow. This is confirmed by the fact that the product was stored incorrectly or repeatedly defrosted for no reason. Such a product is better not to take. The aroma of the product will be partially lost. And you are unlikely to get tender meat from such semi-finished products.
Sometimes in packages there are specimens of red, pink or orange. This suggests that they are already ready for use. Cooking shrimp of this color is not necessary. They should only be thawed, and then you can safely eat. But in them you will not feel the tenderness and aroma. Therefore, even if you come across boiled shrimp, it is better to process them. Make a solution of salt and spices in boiling water and fill them with a thawed product for 10 minutes. Spices will do the job, and shrimp will seem to you much tastier.
In nature, there is another important factor that must be taken into account. Depending on the habitat, shrimp are:
- Tiger or royal that live in warm ponds.
- Atlantic that live in the cold waters of the ocean.
It is important to clearly separate how much to cook tiger prawns, and how many individuals that live in the open sea. Warm mollusks are large and need a longer heat treatment. They need to be cooked for 4 minutes. While smaller marine specimens are enough to hold in boiling water for no more than 2 minutes. Readiness is easily determined by the color change of the pulp. In addition, the shell of the mollusk becomes more transparent.
Nowadays, large tiger shrimps are often found in retail outlets. They can be quickly prepared and a delicate and aromatic dish can be added to the table. To prevent the product from looking like rubber, you must clearly understand the rule on how to cook tiger shrimps. There is nothing complicated here:
- To begin with, we select in the store a fresh frozen product of good quality.
- Then we wash the frozen clams so that accidental debris does not get into the dish.
- Now boil water in a separate container and add salt to it. The amount of salt depends on the degree of purification of the product. If the shrimp is boiled without shell, then in this case a 20% saline solution is made. If tiger prawns are cooked in shell, then the concentration of the solution should be twice as high. These are almost 2 full tablespoons per 1 liter of boiling water.
- Add the necessary seasonings and spices to taste. It can be bay leaf, dill, peas, parsley, garlic. Everything you want to your liking.
- Dip the shrimp in a boiling solution and wait until they float to the surface.
- From this moment we measure from 5 to 7 minutes (depending on the size of the product) and turn off the fire.
- We wash the shrimp under cold water, and then cleanse the shell and viscera.
Now the product is completely ready for use. It can be eaten whole or used to make delicious salads. You are guaranteed a lot of pleasant sensations and benefits for the body.