Buying And Preparing Shrimp Recipe
Yield: 1 infoRecipe by luhu.jp
Ingredients:
None,
Directions:
Colossal, jumbo, large, and medium are familiar labels to shrimp
lover, but what most people dont understand is that these are not
standardized sizes, but simply marketing terms. Within the industry,
shrimp is graded according to the number per pound, known as the
weight count. Weight count is important because shrimp is sometimes
mislabeled. Asking for it by count rather than size means youll be
assured of what youre buying.
Shrimp Sizes, Common Market Names, and Uses
: Count per Pound Best Use
: 12 or fewer colossal stuffing and grilling
: 16-20 jumbo appetizers, poaching,
stuffing, and grilling
: 21-25 large appetizers, poaching
soups, pastas, and sautes
: 26-30 medium soups, pastas, and sautes
: 41-50 small soups, pastas, and sautes
: 70 or more extra-small mayonnaise-bound salads
or pureed for stuffing
Dont automatically peel shrimp without considering how you plan to
prepare them. Shrimp cooked in their shell have more flavor, are
juicier, and are less likely to be overcooked than shrimp that have
been peeled. Although some diners may be squeamish about peeling
shrimp at the table, seafood lover will appreciate the extra flavor.
Grilled shrimp particularly benefit from being cooked with their
shells intact. But peeling shrimp before cooking makes sense for
dishes in which it would be inconvenient to retrieve and peel the
shrimp, such as soups, pastas, or stir-fries.
To peel shrimp, start by grasping the first sections of the shell and
prying them open so that the shell splits along the shrimps
underside. Then tug on the end of the shrimp to slide off the entire
shell.
Before you pull off the tail, think about how you intend to serve the
shrimp. If the shrimp are part of an hors doeuvre platter and people
will be picking them up with their fingers or dipping them into a
sauce, the tail makes a natural handle. The tail also comes in handy
if youre dipping the shrimp in a batter before cooking. If the
shrimp is part of a dish thats intended to be eaten with a fork,
removing the tail is up to you. Some people think the tails add
flavor, others dont like them.
Though deveining is often thought of as a tiresome task, its really
quite simple. The point of deveining shrimp is to remove the small
dark "sand vein" ( the shrimps digestive tract) that runs along the
back. Eating this vein wont make you sick, but it can be gritty. To
devein shrimp without peeling, cut down the back of the shrimp with
kitchen shears and then pull out the vein with the tip of a paring
knife. To devein a peeled shrimp, slit the flesh with a knife and
lift out the vein.
Butterflied shrimp are simply shrimp that have been cut open to lie
flat. Keep in mind that the larger surface area means the shrimp cook
more quickly. Butterflied shrimp are perfect for a superquick spin
the wok or as a platform for a seafood stuffing. To butterfly, trace
the original cut, where the vein used to be, slicing deeply, but
taking care not to cut completely through.
If youve peeled your shrimp raw, you can use the shell to make a
quick stock. Shrimp stock has incredible flavor and can be used for
soups, sauces, and as a poaching liquid for fish and other shellfish.
This intense broth wont be particularly pleasing tasted straight,
but it will add lots of shrimp flavor to other food. Just toss the
shells from 1-2 pounds of shrimp in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups of
cold water, 1/2 cup of dry white wine,
1 bay leaf, 1 celery rib, and some chopped onion. Bring the liquid to
a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Strain the
liquid and discard the solid. Shrimp stock freezes well.
Fine Cooking
Aug-Sept 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 11-11-95
Source from luhu.jp
lover, but what most people dont understand is that these are not
standardized sizes, but simply marketing terms. Within the industry,
shrimp is graded according to the number per pound, known as the
weight count. Weight count is important because shrimp is sometimes
mislabeled. Asking for it by count rather than size means youll be
assured of what youre buying.
Shrimp Sizes, Common Market Names, and Uses
: Count per Pound Best Use
: 12 or fewer colossal stuffing and grilling
: 16-20 jumbo appetizers, poaching,
stuffing, and grilling
: 21-25 large appetizers, poaching
soups, pastas, and sautes
: 26-30 medium soups, pastas, and sautes
: 41-50 small soups, pastas, and sautes
: 70 or more extra-small mayonnaise-bound salads
or pureed for stuffing
Dont automatically peel shrimp without considering how you plan to
prepare them. Shrimp cooked in their shell have more flavor, are
juicier, and are less likely to be overcooked than shrimp that have
been peeled. Although some diners may be squeamish about peeling
shrimp at the table, seafood lover will appreciate the extra flavor.
Grilled shrimp particularly benefit from being cooked with their
shells intact. But peeling shrimp before cooking makes sense for
dishes in which it would be inconvenient to retrieve and peel the
shrimp, such as soups, pastas, or stir-fries.
To peel shrimp, start by grasping the first sections of the shell and
prying them open so that the shell splits along the shrimps
underside. Then tug on the end of the shrimp to slide off the entire
shell.
Before you pull off the tail, think about how you intend to serve the
shrimp. If the shrimp are part of an hors doeuvre platter and people
will be picking them up with their fingers or dipping them into a
sauce, the tail makes a natural handle. The tail also comes in handy
if youre dipping the shrimp in a batter before cooking. If the
shrimp is part of a dish thats intended to be eaten with a fork,
removing the tail is up to you. Some people think the tails add
flavor, others dont like them.
Though deveining is often thought of as a tiresome task, its really
quite simple. The point of deveining shrimp is to remove the small
dark "sand vein" ( the shrimps digestive tract) that runs along the
back. Eating this vein wont make you sick, but it can be gritty. To
devein shrimp without peeling, cut down the back of the shrimp with
kitchen shears and then pull out the vein with the tip of a paring
knife. To devein a peeled shrimp, slit the flesh with a knife and
lift out the vein.
Butterflied shrimp are simply shrimp that have been cut open to lie
flat. Keep in mind that the larger surface area means the shrimp cook
more quickly. Butterflied shrimp are perfect for a superquick spin
the wok or as a platform for a seafood stuffing. To butterfly, trace
the original cut, where the vein used to be, slicing deeply, but
taking care not to cut completely through.
If youve peeled your shrimp raw, you can use the shell to make a
quick stock. Shrimp stock has incredible flavor and can be used for
soups, sauces, and as a poaching liquid for fish and other shellfish.
This intense broth wont be particularly pleasing tasted straight,
but it will add lots of shrimp flavor to other food. Just toss the
shells from 1-2 pounds of shrimp in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups of
cold water, 1/2 cup of dry white wine,
1 bay leaf, 1 celery rib, and some chopped onion. Bring the liquid to
a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Strain the
liquid and discard the solid. Shrimp stock freezes well.
Fine Cooking
Aug-Sept 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 11-11-95
Source from luhu.jp