What else should we know about shrimp varieties? The fact that shrimp are warm-blooded - from warm seas, and cold-blooded - naturally, from cold ones. They say that the latter have a richer taste, but then someone likes something.

How large the number of varieties of shrimp is, how diverse they are used in cooking. They are served as an independent dish, grilled, steamed, fried or boiled, breaded, as well as an ingredient for appetizers, salads, main courses or soups. Shrimps go well not only with vegetables, but also with fruits, they “love” them and exotic sauces.

For those who watch their weight, the good news is that shrimp is a low-calorie and dietary product. Their protein is digested somewhat more difficult than fish protein, but it brings a feeling of satiety faster.

How to choose

Only in the places of fishing is there a chance to buy them alive. They most often come to our counters in fresh-frozen or boiled-frozen form.

  • The freshness of shrimp can be determined by the head - the older this crustacean, the darker its head. In addition, the shrimp itself becomes softer and, as it were, shrinks in the shell. Do not take shrimp in ice glaze. It is not known how many times the mollusk was frozen and thawed.
  • Carefully study the packaging, look at the manufacturer: in European countries, shrimp undergo strict quality control, but this is far from always expected from Asian producers. There are enough complaints about the quality of their products. So let's be more careful.
  • The tail of the shrimp must be curved inwards. A "straight" mollusk means that it died before freezing.
  • See the black-headed shrimp? Throw them away right away. These are sick people. But those with a green head should not be scared, they just ate a special kind of plankton and are quite edible and tasty.
  • Of course, the best shrimp are frozen brown-gray, not boiled - pink. They retain much more useful properties.

How to cut a shrimp

To clean a fresh or defrosted shrimp, pinch it between your thumb and forefinger. With a slight rotational movement, slightly pressing, separate the head from the body. Remove the shell, starting at the top and moving towards the tail.

How to eat shrimp

  • It is customary to peel shrimps with your hands, but they are eaten with a fork. As a rule, when serving, a plate for shells and a cup with warm water and a slice of lemon are placed on the table to rinse the fingers.
  • Fried shrimp, served without a head and with an unpeeled tip of the tail, are taken by the hand by the tail and dipped in the sauce. Bite off the part without the shell, put the rest on a separate plate.
  • It is customary to eat a shrimp cocktail with a dessert fork or an oyster fork. The utensils in which this dish is usually served do not involve the use of a knife.
  • If the shrimp are peeled (they are also called cocktail shrimp) and are served as an independent dish or are found as an ingredient in a dish, then

Shrimp food is not only tasty, but also definitely healthy. This conclusion was made by doctors who recommend eating shrimp at least 2 times a week. In this case, the risk of catching colds will decrease several times. In addition, in the spring you will not have to suffer from beriberi and the depletion of the body associated with it. In addition, shrimp is a worldwide recognized delicacy, distinguished by its most delicate meat and exquisite taste.

Shrimps are a storehouse of protein and mineral elements. Shrimps contain almost a hundred times more iodine than beef. Shrimps contain calcium, which is useful for the functioning of the thyroid gland, the immune system, hematopoiesis, kidney function, building the muscular system and bone tissue. Potassium is essential for the cardiovascular system. Zinc affects the synthesis of hormones, improves the condition of the skin and nails. Sulfur is also important for skin, hair and nails, regulates the functions of sweat and sebaceous glands, improves immunity, reduces allergic reactions, promotes the construction of connective tissue, including the valvular apparatus of the heart, the membrane of venous and arterial vessels, articular surfaces. There is also phosphorus, iron, copper, aluminum, lead. And vitamins - A, D, E and B12.

Shrimp are small crustaceans, without claws, with thin legs and a long, fleshy body. Shrimp are found in both tropical and cold seas. They are different in size and color - but after heat treatment they become red-orange. Boiled and chilled shrimp are eaten as an appetizer, dipped in sauce, added to salads, fried on a barbecue. They are used to make shrimp paste, which is added to soups, stews, etc. Shrimp should be firm, with a hard shell and a fresh, pleasant smell; stale shrimp should be soft and dry.

Shrimps with their unique taste are one of the most popular and often used invertebrates in cooking. They can be cooked with or without shells, but more often they are cleaned before cooking. It only takes a few minutes to cook them - whether they are stewed, marinated or grilled.

They are ready as soon as they become opaque. Don't cook them too long or they will be tough. In most cases, shrimp are sold frozen, so they can be bought all year round. Depending on the variety, the shell of fresh shrimp is of different colors - light gray, brownish-pink or red. But when cooked, all shrimp will certainly turn red. Raw shrimp should have firm-looking meat and a shiny shell that appears to be stuffed.

Do not buy shrimp with black spots on the shell - they are old shrimp. Usually shrimp are sold without a head. If you bought them whole, carefully tear off the heads before removing the shell.

Finished shrimp without a shell should be dense with white meat and a barely noticeable smell. You need to buy shelled shrimp a little more than required, because the shell also has weight. For example, from 600 g of shrimp, only 450 g of peeled meat will be obtained. Shrimp can be cleaned before or after cooking.

Unpeeled shrimp are tastier, but often you have to purchase already peeled ones. It is desirable to remove the vein from small and medium sized shrimp, but it is imperative to remove the vein from large ones, because sand can accumulate in it. Small shrimp are cheaper, but they are more difficult to clean, and therefore you should not chase cheapness. Raw shrimp are considered cooked when they are completely opaque. Cooked shrimp are boiled until they are hot. Shrimp are small, large, medium and giant.

How to clean and cut shrimp

  • With kitchen shears or a small knife, cut the carapace along the outer curve, penetrating the point just enough to remove the dark vein.
  • Fold back the shell, starting at the incision, and carefully remove the shrimp from the shell. The shell can be discarded or used to make a strong broth.
  • Holding the shrimp under cold running water, remove the vein with the tip of a knife.
  • Remove the shell as shown above, leaving the tail section intact.
  • Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut the shrimp down the middle of the back three-quarters deep.
  • Unwrap the meat and remove the dark vein with the tip of a knife.
  • Rinse the cut shrimp under cold running water.


Shrimps - primary processing,
cooking technology

Shrimp- belongs to the order of crustaceans, on the tables
Russian consumers appeared relatively recently
and until recently remained a delicacy.

The length of the shrimp, depending on the species, ranges from 2 to 30
centimeters.

Shrimps are warm water and cold water:

Warm water are considered the largest. To them
include - King prawns that reach up to 20
centimeters; Tiger prawns grow to
30 centimeters, despite their size, these species
shrimp cannot boast of their taste
qualities compared to cold water shrimp.

Cold water- the smallest shrimp, but is considered
tastier, healthier and more nutritious. than warm water
although they are cheaper, and the sizes are small.

Primary processing of shrimp:

For catering shrimp
come in live, raw-ice-cream, boiled-
ice cream, dried or canned.

The method of primary processing will depend on
thermal or culinary use of shrimp.

Raw-frozen raw shrimps -
defrost in running cold water or in air
at room temperature. Butchering
thawed shrimp by hand, we separate the cephalothorax
at the point of articulation with the neck. To get clean
meat from the necks remove the shell.

Watching video

When manually cutting raw shrimp, we get: yield
raw meat 20-40%; cephalothorax 35-45%; shell 15-25%.

Shrimp meat is rich in easily digestible protein,
vitamins and minerals such as:
calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine.

One of the main ways to cook shrimp
is cooking. You can peel shrimp from the shell as
before cooking and after.

Boiling raw shrimp in shell- per liter of water
take forty grams of salt. For one kilo of shrimp
take four liters of salted water. We cook no more
five minutes from the moment of boiling.

Boiling raw shrimp without shell- per liter of water
take twenty grams of salt. For one kilo of shrimp
take three liters of water. Cook for no more than three minutes
moment of boiling.

Large king or tiger prawns, cook in
salted water until it appears on the abdomen
folded protein.

Boiled-frozen shrimp cook in salted water
over two minutes. Shrimps with boiled meat should
float to the surface.

If, after cooking, the shrimp are lowered for 2-3 minutes in
cold water, the shrimp will be easier to peel.

Shrimp Cooking Technology

To enhance the taste and aroma of the dish,
shrimp are cooked together with the shell and head. If in
dish go peeled shrimp, shell and head are not
throw away. Fry them in olive oil
Add some boiling water and cook for another 15 minutes.
Shrimp broth is used for soups or sauces.

When cleaning large shrimp, tails can be left,
they give an aesthetic, attractive appearance to the finished
dish, and during meals are easily removed.

The black veins that are on the back of the shrimp can be
remove both before and after cooking shrimp.

boiled shrimp:

In a pot of water, add salt, a little lemon
juice, bay leaf, dill. Bring to a boil and
put the shrimp, putting the shrimp in boiling water, you can immediately turn off the fire and hold the shrimp in hot
water for half an hour, during which time the shrimp will reach
readiness and soaked in the aroma of spices.

Fried shrimps:

Rinse thawed raw shrimp in cold
water, then you need to blot the shrimp with paper
paper towel to remove moisture. In a deep frying pan
you need to melt the butter with a little
adding olive oil. In hot oil
lay out the prepared shrimp, add
black pepper, salt and fry for five to seven minutes, until
purchases of pink shrimp.

Deep fried shrimp- in a deep frying pan
pour vegetable oil to a height of several
centimeters and heat up. shrimp, cleaned
with the remaining tails, bread in flour and put in
hot oil, fry the shrimp for three
minutes, put the fried shrimp on paper
towel to remove excess fat.

Grilled shrimp:

The popular way today is
cooking large shrimp on the grill.

Small shrimp after primary processing, marinate in
marinade for one hour.

Marinade: for one kilogram of shrimp we need:
25 milliliters of olive oil, 20 milliliters of vinegar, better than wine, 15 grams of garlic, 100 milliliters
tomato sauce, salt, basil greens, red pepper.

Prepared small shrimps are strung on
wooden skewers and put on the grill. We fry according to
one and a half minutes on each side.

Marinated large shrimp
let it stand for one and a half to two hours and put it on the grill.
Fry for two minutes on each side.

In the article, we reviewed primary processing of shrimp,
main cooking methods. If the article is for you
liked or found useful for you leave your

We spread it on a tray for 15 minutes - they defrost quickly.

Then we separate each shrimp from the block and make an incision on the back of the tail.

It is advisable to make an incision on a shrimp that has not yet been defrosted. Then we wash the back from the esophagus.

L1 (10-20) and L2(20-30) have a large esophagus compared to L3 and L4, so it is not necessary to remove the esophagus at L3 and L4.

And finally, a couple of nuances that are important to know. Since it is a freshly frozen product, it cannot be kept for more than 14 hours at a temperature of 0-6 C (i.e., in the refrigerator), as protein decomposition processes may begin, and you will see this on black paws.

"capricious" in relation to the temperature regime. For better preservation of shrimp (during transportation and storage), you should not save on cold. In the case of defrosting, the product may lose its presentation in a few hours (the shell darkens). The optimum storage temperature is -18C. It should be borne in mind that already at -10C, there is a possibility that after a while dark spots will appear on the shell.

Before peeling shrimp, experts advise to cook them unpeeled. This will exclude the possibility of microbes, dust particles and third-party components entering the meat during transportation and packaging (there is no guarantee that everything was done in compliance with all the established standards).

Buying unpeeled shrimp and then processing them yourself is not only safer, but also tastier! Boiling unpeeled, makes it possible to preserve their aroma and useful components.

Before you eat shrimp, you just need to remove the shell from them - this is an easy procedure, and many even like it!

In this article, we will tell you how to properly clean shrimp, whether peeled, raw or frozen.

How to peel raw shrimp

Of course, shrimps are delicious on their own, but they are often an ingredient in some kind of dish and they need to be cleaned before cooking, and you need to know how to properly clean raw shrimps so that they retain their qualities and naturally unique aroma.

Cleaning crustaceans in raw or boiled form involves several simple steps. Regardless of the type of shrimp, cleaning them is easy.

Let's describe the process step by step.


Video "How to clean raw"

How to peel shrimp if they are raw.

How to clean frozen

How to properly clean raw shrimp, we examined. Now we have to consider how to clean frozen ones. There are some nuances here.


How to clean boiled

Many people know how to clean boiled shrimp, but even in such a simple matter there are some subtleties and tricks.

Clean up in order.


Shrimp can be cleaned using any of the methods we have proposed, depending on the form in which you purchased them. Don’t worry if something doesn’t work right away and you might ruin a few things. With a little practice, you will start to get everything right.

How to eat shrimp

After cleaning, the question may arise, namely, how to eat shrimp? It all depends on your preferences. You can simply without any tricks, i.e. in a "pure" form. However, this is too banal for such a valuable and rather expensive product. It is better to cook them in some special way or even make a special dish.

For example, if you are a beer lover, then make an excellent fragrant snack from shrimp. It is quite easy to prepare.

When it turns golden, add shrimp to it.

Fry until cooked and put on a platter. You can decorate with dill or parsley, you can also sprinkle with lemon juice.

But if you prefer pure shrimp, then you can make a kind of assortment, namely put on the same dish with other seafood (for example, squid) or crayfish.

Bon appetit!

  • If you purchased boiled frozen shrimp, then in principle they are already ready and you can eat them. However, in order to achieve a more refined taste, we advise you to boil them a little.
  • If the shrimp are cooked correctly, then the cooked meat should be tender and soft, taste a little sweet, and have a pleasant aroma.
  • In order not to bother cleaning shrimp, buy peeled ones.
  • You can clean, namely, you can free the shrimp from the shell before cooking, or after.
  • It is better to buy large shrimp. Meat in them is not only more, but it is also a little tastier.

This video shows how to properly clean shrimp if they are frozen.