Shrimp: Prepare and Grill

I have visited many Japanese restaurants over the years and found that every one of them seemed to prepare the shrimp the right way. The shrimp served at most of these restaurants are usually larger and more flavorful than their smaller cousins ​​found in the frozen food section of your typical grocery store. My favorite dish, the trio, is a common menu item that I have found in almost every Japanese restaurant I have visited. Mixed with spices and sauces, the shrimp also includes beef, chicken, scallions, and a homemade secret sauce mixed with teriyaki to make up the bulk of the main course.

Smaller shrimp that typically come from cooler waters are better suited for salads and sandwiches. Growing up in upstate New York in the 1970s, I remember the rare occasions when shrimp salad was reserved for special family gatherings only. In addition to spending quality time with extended family, holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas brought out the best in Grandma’s shrimp salad. After the apple pie my mom made, shrimp salad was at the top of my list. For most of my childhood, I never knew shrimp grew bigger than the ones used in Grandma’s salad. It was around my 12th birthday that I was introduced to the jumbo shrimp cocktail. That changed everything!

As for cooking shrimp and langoustines, there are hundreds of ways that I know of, and probably hundreds more that I don’t. Shrimp and prawns can be grilled (my favorite), steamed, fried, boiled, grilled, shelled, or even hung over a campfire. I once saw a video online showing a group of Vietnamese shrimp farmers cooking shrimp over a bucket of hot coals. Shrimp can be cooked with or without the shell. Generally, if you are going to grill them, I suggest leaving the skin on to protect both the consistency and the flavor. Cooking without the shell is usually reserved for everything else.

Defrost shrimp and prawns

If you buy shrimp at the grocery store, you may need to thaw it before cooking. This will allow for even cooking every time. However, you won’t need to do this with the pre-cooked shrimp cocktail dish that has become so popular of late. For these party plates, you can place them on the table about 40 minutes before the party and they will be ready to eat. For raw shrimp, I suggest placing them in a zip-top bag (if not already in a bag) and soaking in cold water. I fill the smaller side of our kitchen sink with water and then use a cup full of more water to weigh them down. Shrimp should never be thawed in a microwave because there’s no way to keep it from thawing or unevenly thawing while it’s there. One of the biggest benefits of thawing shrimp evenly in cold water is that it helps prevent bacterial contamination. Any bacteria left on the shrimp will be destroyed during the cooking process.

Heads and shells on or off?

Here in the US, many of us have an aversion to seeing animals on our plates that still have their heads on. This also exists in me. The idea of ​​seeing a pig’s head at the head table during a pig roast, a trout head still attached to the fish on my plate, or a shrimp head still attached and mixed in with the rest of my meal is not very appealing. I’m sure people who grew up “down in the swamp” would think otherwise, but I have to stop thinking. Part of the process for cleaning freshly caught shrimp here in east central Florida is removing the heads. I leave the shells on to freeze, and then after I thaw them, and after I’ve decided how I’m going to cook the shrimp, I either leave the shells on to grill or remove them for whatever else.

The preference for keeping the heads and shells on is entirely up to you. The shells can be removed before cooking or after, but if you plan to remove the heads, you should do so as soon as possible.

Head, shell and vein removal

If you have decided to remove the heads, there are two easy ways to do it. The first, and probably the cleanest way, is to hold the body with one hand, the head with the other, and with a twisting movement remove the head. Another way, and one that I often use during my cleaning process, is to pinch the heads with your thumb and forefinger. I remove the heads this way mainly to save time. When I clean shrimp, I’m usually cleaning four or five gallons at a time.

To remove the shell, peeling is the most common way and can be done before or after cooking. After removing the heads, I start at the end where the head was, peeling from the bottom first, then working my way back towards the tail. I’ve often found that the legs don’t always come off with the shell, so pay close attention to make sure you remove all the legs.

To remove the vein from the shrimp, use a knife or your fingers to loosen it, then under running water it should fall out of the meat. In general, the larger the shrimp, the easier it is to remove. And on larger shrimp, you’ll probably want to remove them anyway because the vein is large, too.

Grilled shrimp and prawns

As mentioned above, I prefer to grill my shrimp with the shells on to help preserve the flavor. This works best with larger shrimp and prawns because they are easier to handle on a grill.

Addresses:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.

2. Pick the largest shrimp from your catch and string three or four per stake. If using a wooden skewer, soak the skewer in water for at least 15 minutes before placing it on the grill. If you use a metal skewer, be sure to wear hand gloves to pick it up after grilling because it will be hot and could burn you.

3. Leave the heads on or take them off, depending on your preference, and there’s no difference in preparation when it comes to grilling. Tails must be left on.

4. Once the grill comes to temperature, place the skewered shrimp directly on the grill, leaving space between each skewer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

5. After removing them from the grill, be careful to remove the cover as they are hot. It’s best to use a fork and knife at this point.

6. There are many different ways to season the shrimp at this point, but I prefer to add a little salt and pepper and squeeze a little lemon juice on top.

7. Enjoy!

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