How to cook shrimp? How long to cook shrimp? How to cook shrimp correctly?

Good frozen shrimp should have uniform coloring, a shiny shell and a curled tail. There are two main types of shrimp - cold-water (Atlantic) and warm-water (tiger and king shrimp). Cold-water ones are much smaller in size than warm-water ones, but the meat is a little healthier. The more the shrimp's tail is bent, the less time it spent before it was frozen. However, this statement is true for cold-water small shrimp. Due to their structure, large shrimp are not always “hooked.” Faded spots on the shell and lumps of snow in the bag are a signal that the thermal conditions were violated during storage. And hereDon’t let the green head scare you: this happens in individuals that feed on a certain type of plankton. Brown is generally good: this is a sign of a pregnant shrimp, whose meat is very healthy.

First, boil the water. Add shrimp to boiling salted water. Dill, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, and a slice of lemon are often added to the water as spices.

How long to cook shrimp?

Shrimp meat is tender, so you only need to cook the shrimp for a short amount of time. Cook Atlantic (not large) shrimp for 1.5 – 2 minutes. King and tiger shrimps are cooked for 2.5 – 3 minutes. If you overcook the shrimp, the meat will taste a little rubbery. Properly cooked meat “melts in your mouth.”

Cooking shrimp

The main method of preparing shrimp, as you probably already guessed, is boiling. I will tell the story for the frozen product, and for all other forms in which they are sold, you yourself will omit the extra steps of their preparation.

In addition to shrimp, we need 1-2 lemons to prepare them, everything else is to taste, so I won’t write it out separately.

Take the frozen shrimp and place them in a colander. Then rinse with running water under the tap. It can be cold, it can be warm, whatever you like. During this process, the crust of ice will be washed off and the shrimp will thaw, and in addition, the dirt will be washed away, because it is not known where the shrimp you bought were stored before freezing, and the ice itself is not a crystal clear substance.

While the shrimp are undergoing water procedures, place pots of water on the stove. Choose its size depending on how many shrimp you have. You need about 2 - 2.5 times more water in volume so that they are covered with water and “float” freely in it. The water should be lightly salted and brought to a boil.

In general, the set of spices for cooking can be different. Personally, I like the minimum, which consists of salt and lemon juice. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half; if the lemon is small, you can squeeze out all of it.

After the water boils, add lemon juice to it (you should get a slightly acidic solution, that is, the water should be slightly sour). Then put the shrimp in the water. Cooking time after the water boils with shrimp is 3-5 minutes for already boiled shrimp and 7-10 minutes for fresh frozen ones. When choosing the time for cooking, focus on the size of the shrimp; the smaller they are, the faster they will cook. After all, shrimp meat is essentially a protein, imagine how much time it takes to boil an egg, the protein cooks very quickly.

For those who love spices, you can suggest the following composition for preparing the broth in which the shrimp will be cooked: 4-5 cloves, 1 medium bay leaf, 4 black peppercorns, 1-2 allspice, ? cut the lemon into 4 parts, wash the head of unpeeled garlic and cut into 4 parts, 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste or 1 teaspoon crushed paprika, lightly salt. Place all the spices immediately before the water boils, and lower the shrimp as soon as it boils. Cooking time 2-5 minutes.

You can determine the readiness of the shrimp by the color of the shell; it becomes slightly transparent, and they will also float to the surface. You don’t need to cook the shrimp for too long, otherwise their meat will become “rubbery.” Anyone who has cooked squid will understand what we are talking about.

After cooking, place the shrimp in a colander and allow the water to drain. Then put the shrimp in a deep cup and season with the juice of half a lemon and 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil. Mix everything thoroughly and carefully so as not to damage the shrimp and place it on a dish to serve.

Shrimps that have already been previously cooked and then frozen (these are most often sold in stores and are pink in color) need to be cooked for 3-5 minutes.

Cook previously uncooked (red) shrimp, such as king prawns, for no more than 10 minutes.

Delicious facts about shrimp

1. Shrimp meat contains calcium and protein, and is considered a low-calorie dish. Shrimp are rich in cholesterol.

2. In stores now, shrimp are most often sold boiled and frozen, so there is no point in boiling them for a long time. Overcooked shrimp lose their juicy flavor and become unpleasantly rubbery.

3. Shrimp can be boiled in a microwave oven with the addition of a small amount of water - then the shrimp will be cooked in their “own juice”.

Methods for boiling shrimp

The main method of preparing shrimp is boiling. You can peel shrimp from their shells both before and after cooking. If they are boiled in the shell, prepare 4% salted water (40 g, or 2 tablespoons of salt per 1 liter of water), and without the shell - 2%. For one part of shrimp, use 3-4 parts of water.

Cook raw shrimp (thawed in air) at a slow boil in salted water (from the moment of secondary boiling) for no more than 3 minutes.

Boiled-frozen shrimp are cooked for 5-10 minutes. Shrimp with cooked meat float to the surface. After boiling, the shrimp should be immersed in cold water for 2-3 minutes, then it will be easier to separate the meat from the shell and remove the intestines.

The shrimp need to be placed in an already boiling broth, then they will not give up all their flavor to the water. But if you want the broth to be tasty, then the product is placed in cold water and heated together.

In addition to traditional boiling in water with added salt, true shrimp lovers have come up with very special recipes for boiling shrimp.

Shrimp with spices

1st method

Add 1 bay leaf and salt to boiling water. Then throw in the shrimp and cook until done.

2nd method

In boiling water, add dry adjika, a whole onion, salt, red pepper and 1-2 bay leaves to taste (in any case, just a little).

Curry-based sauce goes very well with cooked shrimp.

Shrimp in beer

700 g shrimp, 2 bay leaves, 2 allspice peas, 4 black peppercorns, 2 tbsp. salt, 300 ml beer.

Add salt and spices to boiling water, add beer and after boiling, throw in the shrimp. After the next boil, cook for about 5 minutes. Consume immediately.

Shrimp with lemon

1 kg of shrimp, 1/4 lemon, 1-2 bay leaves, 1-2 allspice peas, black pepper, dill, parsley, salt - to taste. Place lemon, bay leaf, allspice, black pepper, dill, parsley, and salt into cold water.

When the water boils, add shrimp and cook until tender.

Boiled shrimp in milk sauce with onions

500 g frozen shrimp, 1 tbsp. chopped dill.

For the sauce:1 glass of milk, 1/2 glass of water, 3-4 tsp. butter, 1-2 tsp. flour, 3 medium onions, salt, pepper - to taste.

Shrimp contain a huge amount of nutrients (PUFAs, micro- and macroelements, proteins), and these crustaceans are a truly dietary product. In order for shrimp meat to be tender and not rubbery, you need to be able to cook it correctly. The calorie content of 100 g of the finished dish is 95 kcal, provided that sauces are not used.

How to properly cook frozen unpeeled shrimp

Stores sell raw and cooked crustaceans, and both varieties are sold deep frozen. Shrimp meat is very tender and does not tolerate prolonged heat exposure, and if it is overcooked, it will become tough, and if it is not cooked enough, it can cause indigestion.

Raw

The cooking time for crustaceans that have not been pre-cooked is 3-8 minutes. The duration of thermal exposure depends on their dimensions, and on the type of water they are placed in - cold or boiling. Freshly frozen shrimp require defrosting, which is done under running warm water or naturally.

Boiled

The opinion that boiled-frozen crustaceans do not require pre-cooking is erroneous. Such semi-finished products also require thermal exposure, albeit limited in time. Unpeeled boiled-frozen crustaceans are cooked for no more than three minutes, although the cooking time may vary slightly, because the size of the individuals matters.

Recipe for cooking peeled frozen shrimp

Fresh frozen peeled shrimp in spicy brine

To prepare an appetizer that is ideal for immediate serving, you will need:

  • half a kilogram of medium-sized crustaceans, freed from shells and heads, which have not undergone preliminary heat treatment;
  • 1.5 liters of water;
  • 1.5 tbsp. l. salt;
  • 200 g fresh dill;
  • a pair of bay leaves;
  • 6 pcs. allspice.

Technology:

  1. Place all ingredients in water, except seafood and dill.
  2. Place the pan on the fire.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the dill: rinse and finely chop.
  4. Place previously defrosted seafood and chopped herbs into boiling brine.
  5. Let simmer for 3 minutes.
  6. Remove with a slotted spoon along with the dill.
  7. The use of sauces is not implied, because this dish contains dill, which is not only a decoration, but also an ingredient that gives the product a unique flavor.

Boiled-frozen peeled shrimp with vegetables

To prepare the following dish you need:

  • half a kilogram of shrimp;
  • 1.5 liters of water;
  • 2 tbsp. l. finely chopped vegetables (carrots, onions, parsley root);
  • 1.5 tsp each tarragon and salt;
  • pepper and spices - optional (you can avoid using them completely).

What to do:

  1. Thaw seafood, place in a saucepan along with vegetables and pour boiling water over it.
  2. Add remaining ingredients.
  3. Boil for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Remove the crustaceans with a slotted spoon.

How to deliciously cook king prawns

This product is distinguished by its larger size and specific taste: king prawns have more sweetness than regular ones. Before cooking, they need to be defrosted - naturally (followed by rinsing) or under running warm water.

Place a container of water on the stove, the amount of which should be three times the amount of product (take 3 liters per 1 kg). After the liquid boils, you need to salt it (30 g of salt per 1 liter), and add your favorite spices and seasonings (pepper, bay leaf, coriander, cloves, etc.).

The product is loaded immediately after the water boils. During the cooking process, foam will inevitably appear, which must be removed with a slotted spoon.

The duration of temperature exposure depends on the color of the crustaceans. If the king prawns are bright pink, then this is a semi-finished product, the cooking time of which is no more than 5 minutes. Fresh frozen products are grey-green in color and should be cooked for a maximum of 8 minutes.

If you managed to buy crustaceans already peeled from shells and without heads, then the cooking time is reduced by 1/3, and the portion of salt is halved.

Sauces

Sauces add flavor to the finished dish, which is prepared the same way in almost all cases. The most common option is “ketchunez” - a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise.

Traditionally, king prawns are eaten with a dressing consisting of olive oil and lemon juice. People who are not afraid for their figure make a high-calorie sauce consisting of grated hard cheese, chopped garlic and a mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise.

How to cook tiger prawns

Technology cooking tiger prawns

  1. Boiled-frozen tiger prawns require little heat treatment and should be cooked for a maximum of two minutes from the moment of boiling. For a liter of water you need to take a couple of teaspoons of salt and your preferred spices. The volume of brine should be 2 times the amount of product. The finished delicacy is served immediately after cooking.
  2. Fresh frozen. The product requires preliminary defrosting, after which the intestinal tape must be removed. Removal of the shell and heads is at personal discretion.
  3. The time of temperature exposure depends on both the “caliber” of crustaceans and the presence/absence of a shell on them. On average, cooking varies within 3-5 minutes from the moment the water boils again, in the same way as for a boiled frozen product. It is noteworthy that for peeled tiger shrimp, the portion of salt is halved.

Delicious recipes for boiled shrimp in beer brine

For 1 kg of the main ingredient you will need:

  • 3 liters of water;
  • a pair of bay leaves;
  • 4 peas each of allspice and black pepper;
  • 3 tbsp. l. salt (without a slide);
  • 400 g of beer.

Preparation:

  1. Boil water with the addition of spices and the required amount of light beer.
  2. Boil the brine for 3 minutes.
  3. Place the shrimp in the pan and wait until it boils.
  4. Record the time, which depends on the size of the crustaceans.
  5. Select the crustaceans with a slotted spoon and pour ice water over them (this will speed up cleaning).
  6. Serve with any dressing.

“Classics of the genre”: shrimp with lemon

The classic recipe involves the use of the following components:

  • unpeeled shrimp – kilogram;
  • water – 3 l;
  • salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
  • lemon - a little less than half;
  • 2 bay leaves.

Preparation:

  1. Place the lemon, cut into slices, salt and bay leaf into the pan.
  2. Pour the required amount of water into the container and put on fire.
  3. After the brine boils, add the shrimp.
  4. The duration of cooking depends on the size of the crustaceans and the state in which they are (fresh frozen or boiled-frozen).

Peeled shrimp in milk and onion sauce

To make the task easier, you should purchase 1 kg of boiled and frozen crustaceans without shell, and also prepare:

  • glass of water;
  • 2 glasses of milk;
  • 70 g butter;
  • onion – 200 g;
  • 50 g flour;
  • 2 tbsp. l. finely chopped dill;
  • 1.5 tbsp. l. salt.

Technology:

  1. Boil seafood in the usual way, depending on the state in which they are, the only difference being that you need to put dill in the water.
  2. When the shrimp rise to the surface, turn off the heat completely and leave the pan on the stove.
  3. Finely chop the onion, fry it, add water and simmer a little.
  4. In another frying pan, fry the flour and pour milk over it.
  5. Combine the contents of the two pans and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  6. Use a slotted spoon to catch the seafood, place it on a dish and pour the milk and onion sauce on top.

Note to the hostess

  1. The numbers on the packaging indicate the number of individuals per kilogram/pound. For example: crustaceans 50/70 will be much larger than their “brothers” labeled 90/120.
  2. It is impossible to determine the exact cooking time for shrimp from the moment the water boils, and therefore it is recommended to be guided by their size: small peeled – 1 minute; medium – 3 min; royal and tiger - 5 minutes. The “signal of readiness” is the emergence of crustaceans to the surface and their acquisition of a bright pink color.
  3. An abundance of spices and seasonings is not always good. The classic ingredient is lemon, a couple of slices of which are placed in the pan along with the required amount of salt.
  4. When cooking seafood in a slow cooker, no water is added (for half a kilo of crustaceans - 1.5 tablespoons of salt and ground black pepper to taste).
  5. To obtain a rich broth, it is recommended to add seafood to cold water.
  6. The ideal combination of seafood and water is 1:3.
  7. Defrosting crustaceans in the microwave is unacceptable.

How to cook frozen unpeeled shrimp? To properly cook shrimp at home, no special skills or abilities are required. However, there are a few simple tips that will help you avoid annoying mistakes when cooking and will allow you to get a tasty and nutritious product.

Shrimp is a popular seafood product that is high in protein. Low-calorie and healthy. Contains a minimum amount of fat (no more than 2.5 g per 100 g of product). Used as a stand-alone snack for a foamy drink, or an additional ingredient for salads and soups.

In this article I will look at the main points when cooking regular and king prawns and several interesting recipes.

3 main rules for boiling shrimp

  1. Frozen seafood should not be immediately placed into boiling water after opening the package. This is the most common mistake. Pre-defrost the shrimp under running warm water. Rinsing will speed up the defrosting process and get rid of broken antennae, claws and other unnecessary particles.
  2. The optimal ratio of water to product is 2 to 1. Per liter of liquid, take 40 grams of salt when cooking in the shell, and 2 times less when cooking without it.
  3. To speed up the process and preserve the taste, it is better to place slightly thawed shrimp in boiling water; to obtain a rich broth, place them in cold water.

How long to cook shrimp

Shrimp meat is very tender, like crayfish meat, so it makes no sense to keep it on the stove for a long time. Moreover, overcooked shrimp turn out to be harsh and rubbery, which spoils the overall impression of the appetizer.

  • Frozen, unpeeled regular shrimp should be cooked for 3-5 minutes.
  • Uncooked frozen king prawns cook for about 7 minutes.
  • Regular fresh frozen shrimp, distinguished by their gray-green tint, take 6-7 minutes to cook.

Cooking video

Secrets of cooking for salad

  1. It is better to cook the product with a lot of spices, including cloves, allspice, and bay leaves.
  2. To get rid of the glaze (“ice coat”), rinse the shrimp thoroughly with warm water.
  3. Place pre-defrosted product only in boiling water to preserve the delicate taste of the meat, and not give it away to the broth.
  4. After cooking, rinse seafood with cold water to make shells easier to remove.

How to cook frozen shrimp for beer

Ingredients:

  • Shrimp – 1 kg,
  • Onion – 1 head,
  • Dill – 1 bunch,
  • Allspice – 2 peas,
  • Bay leaf - 2 pieces,
  • Cloves – 1 bud,
  • Salt - to taste.

Preparation:

  1. I defrost the shrimp. I rinse with warm water and place in a colander. I let the liquid drain.
  2. I pour water into the pan. I put spices and salt. I send it to the burner.
  3. Place shrimp in boiling water. I cover it with a lid. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. I remove it from the stove. I drain the water.

Video recipe

An excellent beer snack is ready!

Beer cooking recipe

The preparation uses a large number of additional ingredients to flavor and give a unique taste to delicate seafood.

Ingredients:

  • Shrimp – 1 kg,
  • Beer – 700 ml,
  • Garlic – 4 cloves,
  • Lemon – 1 piece,
  • Onion - 2 pieces,
  • Parsley - half a bunch,
  • Bay leaf – 6 pieces,
  • Salt – 1 teaspoon,
  • Red pepper – 3 g,
  • Black pepper – 3 g.

Preparation:

  1. I wash frozen unpeeled shrimp in warm water. I put it in a dish to defrost.
  2. I peel the garlic and onions. I chop it finely.
  3. I take a large saucepan. I pour the beer and put it on the stove. After a minute, add bay leaf, ground peppers (red and black), chopped parsley and vegetables into the heated foamy drink.
  4. I bring it to a boil. I send the main ingredient to cook. I mix it carefully.
  5. After 4-5 minutes, remove the pan from the heat. I close the lid tightly.
  6. I let the dish sit for 20-30 minutes. I stir from time to time.
  7. I drain the water and remove the bay leaves, leaving the remaining ingredients in the dish. I serve seafood on the table along with sour cream sauce.

Bon appetit!

How to cook in a slow cooker

Ingredients:

  • Water – 600 ml
  • Shrimp – 300 g,
  • Salt, allspice - to taste.

Preparation:

  1. I slightly defrost the shrimp for faster cooking.
  2. I put it in a special bowl for steaming. This method will make the meat juicy and not overcooked, and preserve vitamins and beneficial microelements.
  3. I pour water, add my favorite spices (salt and pepper are a must). I turn on the “Steam” program for 10 minutes.

How to quickly cook shrimp in the microwave

Ingredients:

  • Shrimp – 1 kg,
  • Soy sauce - 2 large spoons,
  • Water – 2 tablespoons,
  • Lemon – 1 piece,
  • Salt - half a tablespoon.

Preparation:

  1. To defrost the shrimp faster, I place the package in a pan with warm water. I leave it for a while.
  2. I rinse thoroughly with running water. I dry it.
  3. I put the product in a bowl for cooking in a microwave oven.
  4. I prepare a mixture of soy sauce, salt and water.
  5. I pour the resulting mixture over the shrimp (add your favorite herbs and herbs if desired).
  6. I put it in the microwave and turn on maximum power. Cooking time – 3 minutes.
  7. I take it out of the microwave. I shake to mix. Again I send it to cook for 3 minutes.
  8. I drain the resulting cooking liquid from the dishes. I sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Steamer recipe

Ingredients:

  • Seafood – 1 kg,
  • Onion – 1 head,
  • Lemon – 1 piece,
  • Celery – 1 piece,
  • Carrots – 1 piece,
  • Salt, seafood seasoning - to taste.

Preparation:

  1. I start by prepping the shrimp. I rinse in warm water and allow the liquid to drain. I put it on a plate and sprinkle special seasoning on top. I put the plate of seafood aside to soak.
  2. I'm doing vegetables. I peel and cut into large pieces.
  3. I pour water into the cooking vessel (pressure cooker) to the indicated mark.
  4. I put shrimp on the bottom. I cover the top with a “cap” of chopped vegetables and thin slices of lemon.
  5. I turn on the steamer. I steam it for 15-20 minutes.

Helpful advice. An incredibly delicate and easy-to-prepare sauce made from melted butter and fresh lemon juice will perfectly complement the taste of the dish.

Calorie content of boiled shrimp

Shrimp is a dietary product that contains a large amount of minerals (potassium, phosphorus, iron, etc.) and B-group vitamins. There are only 95 kilocalories per 100 grams of product. The main part is animal proteins (19 g/100 g).

One of the most popular and widespread seafood is shrimp. This is not only a great snack for beer, but also a dietary product. This healthy seafood, rich in protein, protein, calcium, zinc, contains a large amount of iodine. The product is very useful for both adults and children. Helps children grow, strengthen bones, and develop mentally. In adults, it helps strengthen the immune system, women's and men's health, and acts as an aphrodisiac. There are many dishes in which they are used in recipes: all kinds of salads, main courses, snacks, pies.

How to choose the right shrimp

These days you can buy fresh and frozen shellfish. They are sold peeled or shelled. Before you buy a product, you need to take a good look at it. If everything is quite clear when choosing fresh species, then many questions may arise with frozen ones. After all, you don’t really want to pay for a low-quality product.

When choosing frozen unpeeled shrimp it is necessary to pay attention to their integrity and ice thickness(no more than 1mm) with which they are covered. Seafood should not be stuck together. If at least one of the rules is not followed, then they are frozen incorrectly. After all, after the shrimp are cooked and peeled, only a quarter of the purchased mass will remain. Therefore, it is better to add a little and buy large, perfectly frozen seafood. You need to buy unpeeled varieties, because they retain all their juiciness.

When choosing a delicacy, you need to pay attention to the following points:

How long to cook frozen shrimp

Crustaceans are raw seafood. And if you don’t cook them, at best you can just get an upset stomach, and at worst, you can get seriously poisoned. But you can’t digest them either. In addition to the fact that all useful vitamins will be destroyed and the taste will deteriorate, the meat will become tough and not juicy. Shrimp meat is a protein product, so it does not take long to cook. Some shellfish that are sold in retail chains do not require cooking; they are simply doused with boiling water and waited for a few minutes.

But this cooking option is not suitable for all varieties. For example, cooking time:

  • Regular - 2 minutes after boiling;
  • Tiger - 7 minutes;
  • Royal - 10 minutes after the water starts boiling.

Unpeeled shrimp

To begin with, the shellfish should be washed and defrosted. How long to cook frozen unpeeled shrimp depends on how it was frozen and what size it is.

One important thing to consider when cooking frozen crustaceans is there is no need to immediately unload them into boiling water after opening the package. To begin, the shrimp need to be defrosted under running warm water, this will allow us to get rid of unnecessary debris (broken antennae, torn claws), and will also speed up the defrosting process. The ratio of broth to product is 2 to 1. Per liter of broth or water, take 40 grams of salt, this is the case if the shellfish are dressed in a shell, and half as much when they are boiled without it.

Frozen cooked seafood

Stores often sell already boiled varieties. Methods for preparing them are usually written on the packaging, but there are situations when we either buy shrimp in bulk, or the information is blurred, and sometimes there is no information at all. In such situations, it would be nice to know what and how to do. Sometimes you can simply pour boiling water over them and they are ready to eat. But it should be delicious. It is best to boil them.

In order for us to get a tender and juicy delicacy, it is necessary to wash off the ice crust and dirt under running water. This will also allow the shrimp to thaw a bit. If we want to maximize the full taste and aroma of shrimp, we definitely need to organize a spicy broth for them. To prepare it, you can use any seasonings and spices. The best option would be bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring the water to a boil, add salt and add bay leaves and pepper.

Let the shrimp simmer for as long as they need to cook. After removing them from the stove, place them in a colander and let the water drain. If you have to cook a large number of shellfish, you will need to load the shrimp into the broth in parts, and do not forget to boil the water at each approach. After they have cooled and dried, you can sprinkle them with lemon juice.

It is not necessary to boil peeled shrimp: they are simply poured with boiling water and waited for about four minutes, after which they are tasted. If they are damp, they are left for some more time. The main thing is not to overdo it. The finished dish is allowed to drain and served.

Cooking king prawns

This type of seafood does not exist in nature. Marketers did a good job on the name. These are ordinary Atlantic shrimp, only large ones. Unfrozen ones are cooked for about 5 minutes, frozen ones a little longer - about 10 minutes. This is due to the fact that the larger the shellfish, the longer it takes to cook.

Tiger shrimp are common in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are called that because their body is painted with transverse black stripes. It is best to defrost them before cooking. This type is cooked for 4-5 minutes after the water boils. If the color of the clams changes from gray to bright orange, it means they are ready. It is also undesirable to overcook them, as this will affect their taste and affect their hardness.

Tips for cooking shrimp:

  1. The most basic and important rule is not to overcook seafood. If we forget about them, we will not get a tasty delicacy, but simply a rubbery mass that will be impossible to eat.
  2. Before cooking, shellfish must be washed, since we cannot be sure in what conditions they were kept before they came into our hands.
  3. Unpeeled king and tiger prawns have a gray tint when raw. They are thrown into the pan only after the water boils. You can add salt and spices to taste. These creatures are cooked for no more than 10 minutes, until they acquire a bright color. But you shouldn’t take them out of the water right away: keep the clams in the broth for about another minute.
  4. The larger the individual, the longer it takes to cook.
  5. Small pink specimens are already sold boiled, so just pour boiling water over them and let sit for a few minutes. If after cooking the dish has a sweet and salty taste and smells of the sea, this means that you have chosen a quality product and prepared it correctly.
  6. Seafood does not absorb salt well, so you cannot skimp on it. An excellent addition to shellfish is dill, fresh or dried.

A quick, tasty and original appetizer of large shrimp:

  1. Boil it.
  2. Fry in olive oil.
  3. Add garlic.
  4. Sprinkle with lemon.

Secrets of brewing beer

It is best to cook the product with a lot of spices (cloves, allspice, bay leaf). To get rid of the glaze, rinse the shellfish thoroughly with warm water. Pre-defrosted shrimp are placed in boiling water to preserve their delicate taste. After cooking, the crustaceans are washed with cold water. This is done to make the shells easier to remove.

How to cook frozen shrimp for beer:

  • Shrimp - 1 kg;
  • Onion - 1 head;
  • Dill - 1 bunch;
  • Allspice - 2 peas;
  • Bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
  • Carnation;
  • Salt - to taste.

Defrosting shellfish. Place in a colander and rinse under warm running water. Then we wait for the liquid to drain. Make a broth - put onions and spices into boiling water, boil, add shrimp, cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain the water and sprinkle with lemon. Our beer snack is ready!

Attention, TODAY only!

How to cook fresh raw shrimp, how to choose them, what to cook and serve with - all these questions have been faced by many who have decided to diversify their diet with this seafood.


How are they useful?

Shrimp are a large group of decapod crustaceans that live in all the seas of the World Ocean, and some of its representatives moved to rivers and lakes. The exact time when people first tried crustaceans is unknown. Our distant ancestors collected creatures remaining after low tide on the shores of all warm seas from Africa to Southeast Asia for at least 70 thousand years. In some Asian countries, they still prefer to eat seafood raw.

In Russian rivers back in the 20th century, boys easily caught crayfish, baking them right there on the river bank on the coals of a fire, and in the case of a particularly successful catch, an enamel bucket full of crayfish in boiling water ended up on the fire. Here are the simplest recipes for preparing crustaceans.

Let's consider what attracts modern gourmets to this low-calorie, although very nutritious product. Many people like the specific taste. Shrimp meat is very rich in protein, calcium and other microelements. They go well with some side dishes and can serve as a separate dish.


The calorie content of 100 g of the product is 70-90 kilocalories, it is suitable for feeding people who watch their weight and lead an active lifestyle, and the safe cholesterol contained in it is necessary for the synthesis of the male hormone testosterone.

How to choose?

The product goes on sale fresh frozen, packaged in bags weighing up to 2 kg. Sometimes the buyer is given the opportunity to independently select the required quantity by weight from the refrigerator.

Seafood spoils quite quickly, so freezing live shrimp while still at sea is the only reliable method of storing it for a period sufficient for packaging and distribution through the retail chain. Some producers also scald the catch at sea, douse it with hot steam, and only after that freeze it - this treatment allows you to keep it fresh for an even longer time. In the first case, raw crustaceans retain their natural color, in the second they acquire a soft pink tint.



The inhabitants of warm seas are always larger than their cold-water counterparts. Some large varieties - tiger, giant and white - are bred in special farms in Latin America, these are Venezuela, Honduras, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador. There are similar enterprises in the USA and Oceania, and in the second half of the 20th century they also appeared in Asian countries: Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and others.

Some representatives of this group of arthropods have a natural reddish color of the shell; you need to take this into account when purchasing so as not to confuse it with a product that has already undergone heat treatment.


  • A dry shell and an unpleasant color most often indicate that the product is stale.
  • The coloring of the shell should be uniform; any spots indicate that thawing and new freezing have occurred. You should not buy shrimp that have frozen into a ball - this is also a sign of repeated thawing.
  • The color of a crustacean's head can tell a lot. If the head is slightly greener than the body or has a pronounced brown tint, there is no reason to worry about the quality. In the first case, the color indicates the varied diet of the animal, and in the second, it indicates that the buyer is looking at a female who has carried offspring, which only improves the taste. A dark head with shades of black is a sign of illness, in which case the purchase is undesirable.
  • You also need to pay attention to the form. If the animal's tail is straightened, most likely the specimen died before it was caught, and it is better to refrain from eating it. However, in large king prawns, a straightened tail does not mean anything at all; this is their normal state.


Live shrimp go on sale in coastal cities, and they are also delivered to specialized stores. If there is no external damage and the animals are active, you can buy. It is important to quickly deliver them to the place of preparation, since in the absence of water or oxygen they quickly die.

During the cooking process, size practically does not matter. Large, medium and small varieties are prepared in the same way. If there is a choice, the size is determined by the recipe for the dish for which these seafood are needed.

Not the last thing when choosing a product is the smell. Any sharp and unpleasant smell is unacceptable; if there is the slightest suspicion, it is better to refuse the purchase. High-quality frozen seafood smells like the sea, and this smell should not have any impurities.

Shrimp packaging usually indicates the approximate quantity. The size of the crustaceans should be approximately the same; if in one bag they are small, medium and large, this is a sign of an unscrupulous manufacturer.


How long should I cook?

To cook shrimp that have already undergone heat treatment (this is evidenced by the soft pink color of the shell), a two-minute stay in boiling water is enough. Animals of natural color, frozen immediately after catching or live, should be cooked longer, sometimes up to 10 minutes after boiling. This is necessary for deeper heat treatment, since during storage and keeping in a common container, shrimp become a breeding ground for various types of bacteria.

It is not recommended to immerse a frozen product in boiling water, as it largely loses its taste; it must first be thawed. There are several ways to defrost. The simplest is defrosting in the refrigerator, but this will require quite a long time (several hours). You can speed up the process with cold water. Crustaceans placed in a colander are placed under running cold water. After 10-15 minutes, they need to be transferred to a deep plate and left for about 15 minutes at room temperature. After thawing, it is better to drain the condensate that has formed.



General cooking principles

It is correct to cook shrimp unpeeled; the shell helps retain juice, which makes them more tasty and aromatic.

From historical sources, a method is known for preparing marine crustaceans in sea water, the salinity of which is close to 32 grams of salt per liter. If you need to boil fresh shrimp on the seashore, this method will be very useful. But if the sea is far away, sea salinity can be simulated. In a liter of tap water (remember, its weight is exactly 1 kg) you need to dissolve a heaping tablespoon of salt; this volume will be enough to cook half a kilo of crustaceans. It is easy to calculate the volume of water and the amount of salt required per 1 kg of fresh or thawed product.

Salted water must be brought to a boil, then the salt will dissolve faster and more completely. And only place the completely thawed shrimp in the boiling water. Once it boils again, you're done. Don’t forget that fresh frozen or live crustaceans need to be boiled a little longer. One of the signs of readiness is the transparency of the shell. Do not pour the pan too full; when it boils, the shrimp will float to the surface and displace the foam.


Despite its apparent simplicity, it is indeed not always possible to prepare these seafood deliciously, and most often the most careful housewives make mistakes. They are the ones who usually keep them in boiling water. After such heat treatment, the meat loses many of its properties and becomes tough.

The boiled product must be cooled as soon as possible. Ideally, you should place the colander with it in ice for about a minute. But in reality, instead of ice, it is often placed under cold running water.



Recipes

As mentioned above, boiling shrimp at home is not technically difficult, the main thing is to keep an eye on the time. But the options for this cooking can be very diverse.

Seafood is responsive to seasonings, so as not to overwhelm the taste; it is better to avoid using large quantities of them, but adding a bay leaf will emphasize the taste of crustaceans.


There is a simple way to cook with lemon juice. Squeeze half a lemon into two liters of salted water. Bring the water to a boil and place the thawed shrimp in it.

You can prepare a fragrant broth, for this you need to take:

  • black peppercorns, no more than 3 pieces;
  • 3 pods of cloves;
  • 3 pieces bay leaves;
  • half a lemon;
  • 3 cloves of garlic;
  • no more than 40 g of tomato paste;
  • spoon of salt.

All ingredients are added to boiling water and cooked for 2 minutes. Then the prepared shrimp are dipped into the broth.


There is a known method of boiling with onions and garlic, which is more like stewing. Place onion, cut into rings, at the bottom of the pan and lightly fry it in vegetable oil, add crushed garlic (no more than 2 cloves). The crustaceans placed in a pan are filled with water and, covered with a lid, brought to a boil over low heat. Cook for no more than two minutes.

Cooking in a slow cooker also does not require any special culinary skills. The instructions for this device do not contain a word about preparing such a product, but this does not mean that it cannot be done.

Pour the thawed and dried crustaceans with vegetable oil; about 50 ml is needed per kilogram of product. Add finely chopped dill, pour in lemon juice, mix everything thoroughly. Place the multicooker in the pan and add two liters of water. Select the “Stew” mode, set the timer, cook for 20 minutes.


You can try a waterless recipe. Place the shrimp in a multicooker pan, sprinkle them with salt and spices, and mix everything. Cook on the “Baking” mode for 20 minutes.

They are also prepared in a double boiler: flavored with lemon juice, salt and spices, then placed in a container for cooking. Cooking time 15 minutes.

Microwave cooking is also possible. Thawed shrimp should be placed on a clean towel or napkin to remove most of the water from them. The product dried in this way is placed in a sleeve or baking bag. Vegetable oil mixed with water is poured there. You need to pierce several holes in the tied bag (sleeve). Cooking time is no more than 10 minutes.

You can try another way. Pour the defrosted shrimp with vegetable oil, salt and soy sauce, mix everything in a special microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a lid and place in the microwave for 10 minutes.



It must be taken into account that the mass of peeled crustaceans is three times less than the weight of unpeeled ones. Many recipes indicate the mass of the finished product, that is, crustaceans without shells.

How long do shrimp last in the refrigerator?

Shrimp are classified as perishable foods. At room temperature, after two hours they become unsuitable for food. That is why a thawed product cannot be re-frozen.

Their storage time, even at refrigeration temperature (+4.6°C), cannot exceed three days.

There is a way to store fresh crustaceans with ice. Crushed ice is placed in a colander with them, and the resulting melt water should drain. The top of the colander should be covered with a cloth, this will significantly reduce evaporation. Thus, the shelf life in the refrigerator can be increased to 5 days, provided that the temperature in the chamber is about 0°C. If this temperature cannot be maintained, the decomposition process will begin on the third day.

To avoid the characteristic smell of crustaceans permeating food in the refrigerator, it is better to store the latter on the bottom shelf, separate from the other contents of the refrigerator.



When stored in the freezer, the temperature is set to approximately -20°C. You can store frozen shrimp at home in the freezer for up to six months, provided that they do not thaw. The longer a product is stored, even in the freezer, the less of its natural taste remains.

A product purchased in a package is stored in it, provided that the integrity of the package is not compromised. When opening the package, you must use its entire contents without dividing into portions.

Boiled ones are stored under the same conditions as fresh frozen ones. The period that they can withstand in the refrigerator should not exceed three days.


What do they eat them with?

Crustaceans go well with other foods.

In Asia, where the tradition of eating shrimp is perhaps the most ancient, a popular side dish for them, as well as for other seafood, is boiled fluffy rice. It is better to take long-grain, steam-treated. Prepared in portioned bags is also suitable. Do not forget that the dish must be served freshly prepared, no heating.

You can also cook them with spaghetti; the following are suitable for this:

  • 300 g spaghetti:
  • 200 g shelled crustaceans;
  • 3 cloves of garlic;
  • fresh greens.

Lightly fry crushed garlic in vegetable oil, add shrimp and fry for about 1 more minute, and quickly transfer to a plate, mix with spaghetti, boiled and drained in a colander according to the recipe, sprinkle with herbs. The dish is ready!


Shrimp goes well with other seafood. An excellent salad can be made from them with squid. Seafood is cut into small pieces (for example, 300 g), about 200 grams of canned pineapples are added, mixed and seasoned with mayonnaise. You can serve the salad garnished with herbs and an egg cut in half.

Combination with vegetables will add new facets of taste to traditional salads.

A nutritious and very tasty salad is obtained from:

  • half a kilo of shrimp;
  • 3 lightly salted, although fresh cucumbers are also possible;
  • 3 tomatoes.

Tomatoes and cucumbers are cut into circles and mixed with salt, the resulting mass is seasoned with vegetable oil and a small amount of vinegar. Shrimp are laid out on a plate, with vegetable salad around them. The dish is served garnished with green onions.


You can get an unusual combination of taste by preparing a salad with avocado.

You will need:

  • about 300 g of peeled crustaceans;
  • 3 avocados;
  • 2 tomatoes;
  • cucumber;
  • onion, preferably red;
  • greenery.

Cut the ingredients into slices, finely chop the greens. In the prepared bowl, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and hot pepper. The ingredients are mixed in another bowl. Everything is poured with the prepared sauce. Salad ready.


You can prepare this salad in another way. The ingredients are not mixed, but laid out in rows: cucumber, tomato, avocado, shrimp. Everything is poured with sauce and served.

Seafood goes well with citrus fruits: lemon, oranges, tangerines, pomelo and others.

An unusual salad can be prepared with tangerines. You will need:

  • 10-20 fried shrimp;
  • 5 medium tangerines;
  • bulb;
  • cucumber;
  • yogurt;
  • soy sauce.

Cut the cucumber and onion into slices, divide the tangerines into slices. In a plate, mix yogurt, soy sauce and the juice of two tangerines, add tangerines, cucumber and onion. Stir again. Place shrimp on a plate and cover with prepared salad.


For a simple recipe for boiled shrimp, watch the video below.