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What Is the Best Way To Cook Frozen Shrimp?

Shrimp is no doubt a very versatile ingredient with which it is possible to create both simple and more complex dishes. The beauty of shrimp is that the choices of how to cook it are endless; you can grill it, boil it or fry it and all of these will give you good results. However the best way to cook frozen shrimp starts with the shrimp that you buy.

What to Look For When Buying Frozen Shrimp

When buying frozen shrimp, be sure to check the bag for any ice crystals. If you see them, walk away! Frozen crystals means that the shrimp has already been thawed and then re-frozen, meaning that it’s flavour will not be great, it will not be fresh or worst case scenario, might make you ill. Once you find a bag free of frozen crystals, you have the start to cooking the best frozen shrimp!

Preparing Your Shrimp

While you are getting your other ingredients ready, for example chopping some vegetables, thaw the shrimp by putting it in some water (you might want to put something on top of it so it stays under the water rather than floating up. Unlike other frozen meat, this should not take very long (10-20mins.) as shrimps are relatively small in size. If you have bought shrimp that is still in its shell and you need to de-shell it for your chosen recipe, do so once the shrimp has de-frosted.

Cooking the Shrimp

The important thing in getting the best results when you are cooking frozen shrimp is the time it is cooked for. This will ensure that the texture of the shrimp is just right: tender and succulent. There will be some difference in this depending on your chosen recipe and the size of your shrimps. So let’s have a look at a few different ways to cook shrimp.

Grilling

This method is a favourite if you would like to throw something different than a burger onto your barbeque. You may want to use some marinate to enhance the shrimp’s flavour. A lemon, chilly and soya sauce marinade works well, but there are tons to pick from!

• Simply cover the shrimps in the marinade (leave in the fridge for about 30mins) and then add them to skewers, along with some red pepper, onion and mushrooms
• If the shrimp is pre-cooked, put on the grill and turn occasionally for about 2 minutes
• If the shrimp is not pre-cooked, stick it on the grill turning occasionally for about 15- 20 minutes

Boiling

Boiling shrimp works well for salads as well as many other dishes. For best results, add some lemon and salt to the water.

• Boil some water and add some slices of lemon (or lemon juice) and some salt
• Drop in the shrimps once the water is already boiling. The shrimps will be cooked once they float to the top and turn pink/orange (timing will vary depending on size)
• Remove immediately, and either serve, or cool (if making a salad) over ice

Steaming

Steaming is a great way of cooking shrimp while retaining a lot of flavour!

• Put a little bit of water in a pot (add some lemon juice, chilli flakes and salt)
• Once the water starts to boil, turn the heat down and put the shrimp into a steaming dish
• Cover with a lid
• As above, shrimp is cooked when it turns pink/orange
• Remove immediately, cool over ice, or serve hot.

These are the easiest and best ways of cooking frozen shrimp. Being such a versatile ingredient, the options are almost endless! Try the ways mentioned in this article and why not add your own twist? Perhaps you love garlic or dill? Chuck some into your shrimp recipe! Or maybe you enjoy a sweet flavour? How about a honey and chilly marinade? So what are you waiting for? Go and get that frozen shrimp!

About the Author: Article by Outofstress.com expert author Iva Dragostinova. All rights reserved.