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How to Peel, Devein, & Cook Amazing Shrimp

How to Peel, Devein, & Cook Amazing Shrimp

Scenario. It’s a Saturday night and you’re wanting to whip up a nice meal for your spouse – I mean, hey, it’s date night. You’ve decided to stray away from steak and chicken, and instead, you’re opting for seafood. Fish? No. Crab? Not tonight. Shrimp? Perfect!

Skip an hour or two ahead, and you’ve just gotten back from the store with a couple pounds of savory, fresh shrimp (with shell on). The kitchen has already been cleaned and cleared; all you need to do now is get to work. But where do you begin? How do you properly prepare the shrimp to cook?

Don’t worry, it isn’t hard. Below, we’ve laid out each step of preparing and making the perfect shrimp. From learning how to peel and devein shrimp to learning how to cook shrimp, Pure Food Fish Market has got you covered! And with a few practice runs, you’ll be a shrimp master in no time.

How to Peel and Devein Shrimp

The first thing you’ll need to know when preparing to cook your meal is how to peel your shrimp, and how to devein your shrimp. The first step is how to peel your shrimp. First, you remove any heads or legs from the shrimp and then starting with the end of the shrimp where the head was, carefully lift and pull back the outer shell of the shrimp. You may opt to either keep or remove the tail in this step of peeling the shrimp. Then, using a small paring knife, slice a quarter inch deep incision into the back of the shrimp. At this point, you should see the vein in the shrimp, and with either your small paring knife or your fingers, you can remove the vein from the shrimp that runs along the back of the shrimp. In the situation that the vein is not readily apparent at this step, do not worry about the vein and simply proceed to cooking the shrimp. With those simple steps, you know how to peel and devein shrimp and can embark on your perfect shrimp date night dinner.

Is Deveining Shrimp Necessary?

As mentioned in the prior paragraph, if you are unable to see the vein or remove it, it is perfectly fine to leave the vein in the shrimp. If you either do not know how to devein shrimp or simply wish to skip this step, there is no mandatory regulation regarding deveining shrimp. For small to medium sized shrimp, it is perfectly safe to consume the shrimp with the vein still in it. In most instances, people remove the vein simply for cosmetic purposes and there are no taste or health implications if you choose to leave the vein in the shrimp.

How to Cook Shrimp

Now that you know how to peel and devein shrimp we can move on to how to cook shrimp. There are a variety of recipes and cooking methods that you can choose from including baking, boiling, and grilling fresh shrimp. Here are a few simple suggestions on the best practices for how to cook shrimp along with some tasty shrimp recipes that are sure to leave your mouth watering!

Baking Shrimp

If you don’t have a lot of time to prep or you are just looking for a quick way to cook your shrimp that involves little preparation work, baking your shrimp is the option for you. After you peel and devein your shrimp, lay the shrimp on a simple baking sheet that is coated in a light layer of oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking to the sheet. Then simply toss the shrimp in some olive oil, maybe add some salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning, and arrange them on the baking sheet. Once the oven is preheated, we recommend 400°, place the shrimp in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Once the shrimp is a nice pink color remove the shrimp and serve. 

Boiling Shrimp

Another great option for shrimp is boiling them. This method can be combined with a larger seafood boil or be done on its own. Simply boil eight cups of water. Then, toss in your peeled and deveined shrimp with your desider seasoning. We recommend using a seasoning mix such as old bay but you can also just sprinkle some salt and paper onto the shrimp. Once you add the shrimp to the boiling water, wait until the shrimp is a nice pink color before removing. This usually only takes about 2 to 3 minutes. Once the shrimp are pink, strain out the water and rinse the shrimp under cold water. This will stop them from boiling. Then your shrimp are ready to serve. 

Grilling Shrimp

Finally, you can also choose to grill the shrimp. Once you peel and devein all your shrimp you can place them on a skewer to make them easier to rotate on the grill. After placing them on the skewer, season your shrimp with your seasoning of choice or simply salt, pepper, and olive oil. Place the shrimp skewers on the grill and rotate for 1 to 2 minutes depending on how hot your grill is. Wait until both sides of the shrimp are a nice pink color before removing them from the grill. Once thoroughly cooked, your shrimp are ready to serve.

The Best Shrimp Recipes – Flavors Out of This World

Our website has a great selection of shrimp recipes for those who wish to try a new way to cook shrimp. Here are our top 10 recommended recipes to cook the most delicious shrimp possible:

  1. Grilled Shrimp With Coconut Rice
  2. 3 Simple Ways To Perfectly Prepare Shrimp
  3. Tom Yum Soup With Shrimp
  4. Spicy Jalapeno Mango Shrimp
  5. Spiced Jumbo Shrimp With Smoked Gouda Grits
  6. Skewered Shrimp With Roasted Hazelnut and Red Pepper Sauce
  7. Shrimp Scampi
  8. Quick Shrimp Tacos Recipe
  9. Poached Shrimp With Cocktail Sauce
  10. Lightly Breaded Shrimp 

Only the Tastiest Shrimp at Pure Food Fish Market!

Here at Pure Food Fish Market, we sell only the tastiest and freshest fish there is. With a great selection of fresh shrimp, recipes, and kitchen tools, we have all you need for your next shrimp date night dinner! Visit our website today and order only the freshest seafood that comes to you with overnight delivery.

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