PREPARING SHRIMP

Preparing shrimp can be scary for some people. It is expensive in most areas and you want to make sure that you are preparing it properly to get the best flavor. Preparing shrimp is quite simple, although can be time consuming so allow for plenty of prep time if buying shrimp in the shells that need to be peeled.

When you get the shrimp home, run them under cold water to remove any extra debris and to rinse off any juices.

If you are going to peel the shrimp, place a colander in the sink and grab a bag for garbage.

If the heads have not been removed, place the shrimp on a cutting board and remove the head just behind the “helmet” (This will be very obvious to you when you see it)

Next turn the shrimp over in your hand so that the feet point upward. Grasp the shell where the legs attach on each side and gently pull apart. This will remove the shell from the main body.

Next, grasp the meat in one had as close to the tail as you can while holding onto the tail with your other hand, gently pull the meat free from the tail.

Take a look at the back of the shrimp, if you see a definite gray/black vein using a paring knife, slit the back and grasp the vein to pull it out. You do not need to bother with smaller shrimp, but you will need to de-vein larger varieties. If you make the cut too deep, the shrimp will “butterfly” when cooking, so make sure that you only make a shallow cut.

Once you have completed this process, rinse the shrimps to wash off any errant shell pieces and place in the colander. Repeat until all are shelled.

If you are not planning on using the shrimp immediately, you can store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a tightly sealed container.