Shrimp can be cooked in dozens of ways and they all taste good. The majority of shrimp eaten in the USA are consumed in restaurants, because many feel timid about cooking shrimp at home. In fact, shrimp are simple to cook! We have included some general tips about cooking our shrimp. We are not professional cooks, so use these tips as general guides from one home cook to another.
We conclude this section with some recipes submitted by our clients. If you have a good recipe to share, let us know!
One tip common to all cooking techniques: Use sea salt for better flavor.
Avoid overcooking
The most common error to cooking shrimp is to cook them too long! Overcooked shrimp become tough and loose their flavor. Our inland-produced shrimp tend to cook even more quickly than oceanic shrimp, so be careful. Sample shrimp as you cook them and remove them from the heat while they are still tender. Remember that shrimp continue to cook after they are removed from the heat. One option is to briefly immerse shrimp in ice water or spread shrimp on ice to stop the cooking.
How to prepare peel & eat shrimp
Thaw shrimp in cool water before cooking. Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil, add favorite shrimp boil according to directions, add a quartered lemon and about 2 tablespoons of sea salt per quart of water. Add 2 pounds of shrimp and wait 3 min. Remove the shrimp and put on ice until cooled. Sprinkle generously with additional shrimp boil and salt before peeling and eating. Use Old Bay seasoning for a traditional flavor, or use a New Orleans style seasoning like Zatarains for a zestier flavor.
Frying shrimp
We recommend that beginners use one of the shrimp breading mixes provided in stores. Follow directions on the bag. These breading mixes tend to be overly salted, so try cutting them with your own combination of equal parts corn meal and flour. Eventually, you’ll end up making your own breading mix that best suites your own palate. Try dipping the shrimp in butter milk before dragging them through a flour mix.
How to sauté/broil/grill shrimp
These cooking methods are very different, but many of the same seasonings can be used with any of these methods. The shrimp don’t have to be shelled before cooking. Leaving the shell on imparts a different flavor profile. When sautéing, don’t cook too many shrimp at a time, because the moisture from the shrimp can end up steaming the shrimp.
Thaw shrimp, peel and damp dry. Add about 1 tbs of butter and a dollop of olive oil to a sauté pan on medium heat. Squeeze a clove of garlic into the pan, fry briefly and then add a handful of shrimp and stir. After about a minute, sprinkle with sea salt, turn the shrimp and cook about same amount of time. Sprinkle with more sea salt and remove from heat. For a spicier result, use a Cajun flavored salt instead of sea salt, or sprinkle shrimp with a Cajun spice mixture while cooking. The more sophisticated palate would appreciate a splash of white wine to the pan during the last minute of cooking, or try adding a squeeze of lemon or lime for a great tangy flavor. Your flavoring options are really limited only by your imagination.
Overcooking
The most common error to cooking shrimp is to cook them too long! Overcooked shrimp become tough and loose their flavor. Our inland-produced shrimp tend to cook even more quickly than oceanic shrimp, so be careful. Sample shrimp as you cook them and remove them from the heat while they are still tender. Remember that shrimp continue to cook after they are removed from the heat. One option is to briefly immerse shrimp in ice water or spread shrimp on ice to stop the cooking.
Peel and Eat
Thaw shrimp in cool water before cooking. Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil, add favorite shrimp boil according to directions, add a quartered lemon and about 2 tablespoons of sea salt per quart of water. Add 2 pounds of shrimp and wait 3 min. Remove the shrimp and put on ice until cooled. Sprinkle generously with additional shrimp boil and salt before peeling and eating. Use Old Bay seasoning for a traditional flavor, or use a New Orleans style seasoning like Zatarains for a zestier flavor.
A Note About Frozen Shrimp
While individually quick frozen (IQF) shrimp don’t need to be thawed before boiling or steaming, we think they can be more accurately cooked and are more tender if they are thawed before cooking.
Sauté/Broil/Grill
These cooking methods are very different, but many of the same seasonings can be used with any of these methods. The shrimp don’t have to be shelled before cooking. Leaving the shell on imparts a different flavor profile. When sautéing, don’t cook too many shrimp at a time, because the moisture from the shrimp can end up steaming the shrimp.
Thaw shrimp, peel and damp dry. Add about 1 tbs of butter and a dollop of olive oil to a sauté pan on medium heat. Squeeze a clove of garlic into the pan, fry briefly and then add a handful of shrimp and stir. After about a minute, sprinkle with sea salt, turn the shrimp and cook about same amount of time. Sprinkle with more sea salt and remove from heat. For a spicier result, use a Cajun flavored salt instead of sea salt, or sprinkle shrimp with a Cajun spice mixture while cooking. The more sophisticated palate would appreciate a splash of white wine to the pan during the last minute of cooking, or try adding a squeeze of lemon or lime for a great tangy flavor. Your flavoring options are really limited only by your imagination.
Frying
We recommend that beginners use one of the shrimp breading mixes provided in stores. Follow directions on the bag. These breading mixes tend to be overly salted, so try cutting them with your own combination of equal parts corn meal and flour. Eventually, you’ll end up making your own breading mix that best suites your own palate. Try dipping the shrimp in butter milk before dragging them through a flour mix.
Recipes
These are some recipes submitted by friends and clients of ours.
Please submit your own recipes to share with others by emailing us at david@greeneprairieaquafarm.com.
Shrimp Bisque
Ingredients
Instructions
Veloté
Shrimp Stock
Blonde Roux
Shrimp Remoulade
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of tarragon vinegar
- 4 Tbsp Creole hot mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp tomato catsup
- 2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup celery finely diced
- 1/2 cup green onions finely diced
- 4 lbs boiled shrimp peeled
- Black and cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, catsup, lemon, and garlic
- Add oil gradually to create emulsion, and then add the green onions and celery
- Pour over shrimp in an airtight container and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight before serving over a green salad
Cajun Barbequed Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 stick butter
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp any brand of shrimp/crab boil seasoning
- 1-1/2 lbs large fresh shrimp with shells
- 1/4 Tsp thyme
- 1/2 Tsp Tabasco
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In a small frying pan heat oil, and add the butter and all other ingredients except shrimp
- Simmer for 5 minutes
- Place the shrimp (shells on) in an open baking dish and pour the sauce over the top
- Stir once to coat the shrimp
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring twice while baking
- Serve immediately