Fried shrimp with leeks - recipe

How to cook frozen shrimp in the shell: general rules

Cooking shrimp in the shell is a whole art that begins with the choice of seafood and ends with the right combination of spices. Today, “the eyes just run wild” from this shrimp diversity! Fresh, chilled, frozen, boiled-frozen seafood, peeled and in shell, is available for sale. This delicacy came to us from afar, which means that the conditions for its storage and transportation must be carried out at a high level and in accordance with all the rules.

How to choose the right shrimp? Culinary experts advise paying attention to the following points:

• the color of the heads should not be black, as this is a sign of a sick shrimp;
• make sure that there is no damage to the shell;
• white spots on the body indicate that the shrimp are too frozen;
• ponytails should be curled inward;
• the healthiest ones are grayish-colored shrimp, since they were frozen while still fresh;
• Frozen shrimp should be crumbly and not stick together into an ugly lump of ice.

We will talk about frozen shrimp in the shell, so let’s take a little time and learn how to defrost them correctly:

1. Pour the shrimp into a deep bowl and place on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 8-10 hours. Thawing should be gradual in order to keep the shrimp meat soft, juicy, and aromatic under the shell.
2. You can significantly speed up the defrosting process if it is really necessary. Place frozen shrimp in a waterproof bag and place in a sink filled with cold water. This procedure will take less than an hour.

Tip: Do not defrost shrimp in the microwave. The most tender meat will become rubbery and rough.

Shrimp are added to salads, soups, pastas, and sauces. Original king and tiger shrimps in the form of skewers or fried in a frying pan. When boiled, they are coarse and tasteless. And small shrimps, when cooked, delight with their taste - juiciness and tenderness.

How to eat shrimp correctly?

Eating shrimp has its own culture. In order not to fall face down in some restaurant when you are served such a dish, you need to familiarize yourself in advance with the rules for eating these crustaceans.

• Since all waste products and internal organs are located in the head area, the head is not suitable for food and is broken off in the neck area;
• Numerous legs of the crustacean are also torn off;
• Next, the meat is freed from the shell;
• All waste is placed in a separate plate;
• After use, dip your hands in a bowl of lemon water to remove odor from the skin of your hands.

Some connoisseurs use a lobster fork to cut and eat shrimp. However, this option is only possible when consuming large species. In most cases, shrimp are cut by hand and this method is not considered shameful.

In this video, chef Oleg Vernikov will show you how to properly clean cooked shrimp before eating:

Fried shrimp are prepared peeled with a small piece of shell on the tail. The tail is left in the shell so that while eating you can grab the crustacean by it, dip it in the sauce, and throw the meat into your mouth.

All other dishes using crustaceans involve using them in a purified state.

Shrimp frozen in different ways: cooking options

Preparation:

1. Defrost the shrimp.
2. Immerse in salted boiling water, and when it boils again, boil the crustaceans for another 8-10 minutes.
3. Ready shrimp turn orange and float to the top.
4. Turning off the stove, leave the shrimp in boiling water for 10-15 minutes to give them incredible juiciness.

There is a lot of controversy and discussion about how to properly boil frozen shrimp that have previously been heat-treated. Boiled and frozen crustaceans require a minimum of attention:

• the first method is to pour boiling water over previously defrosted shrimp;
• the second method is to bring it to a boil and immediately remove our delicacy from the heat;
• third method - boil in salted water with spices for 2-5 minutes.

Side dish for shrimp in creamy sauce

In Italy, shrimp pasta is often prepared in a creamy sauce.

Ingredients:

• pasta – 200 gr.;
• cream – 200 ml;
• parmesan – 60 gr.;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• olive oil;
• spices, herbs.

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan with enough salted water, cook the spaghetti or fettuccine as directed on the package.
2. In a frying pan with olive oil, fry a clove of garlic and a couple of sprigs of thyme.
3. Remove them and fry the peeled shrimp in aromatic oil.
4. Pour in the heavy cream and cook the sauce to the desired thickness.
5. You can add grated Parmesan to make the sauce thicker.
6. Taste, add salt if necessary and add dry herbs and spices.
7. Drain the finished pasta in a colander and then place it in a frying pan with the sauce.
8. Stir and serve in a large dish or in portions.
9. You can use fresh herbs for decoration.

You can leave the shrimp in the sauce, or you can remove them and decorate the pasta with them.

Any of the recipes proposed in the article will allow you to prepare a tasty, satisfying and healthy dish for dinner or lunch for your loved ones. Familiar shrimp will become completely unrecognizable if served with a Mediterranean, Indian or Asian style side dish. Bon appetit!

Classic recipe

Compound:

• shrimps;
• water;
• salt;
• spices.

Preparation:

1. The first thing that will bring success to our delicacy is to properly defrost the shrimp in their shell.
2. Place the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight.

   

3. Rinse them under cold water and place them in a colander.

   

4. Let's take a pan so that it can hold three times more water than the shrimp we need to cook.
5. Fill 2/3 of the pan with water.
6. Salt the water so that it is salty and bring it to a boil.
7. Add dill, a few peas of allspice, and bay leaf.
8. Carefully lower the shrimp into the boiling broth.
9. Cover the pan with a lid and wait for the water to boil.
10. Having boiled, the shrimp all float to the top, and the broth is covered with orange foam.

    

11. The arthropods should boil for 7-10 minutes.
12. Remove the container from the heat and let the cooked shrimp steep in the broth for another 15 minutes.

    

13. Place the finished shrimp in a colander, and when the excess liquid has drained, place them on a dish, pour over lemon juice and enjoy the delicate taste.

Vegetable side dish for fried shrimp

As a side dish for tiger prawns, any vegetable mixture that needs to be simmered in a saucepan is suitable.

Ingredients:

• zucchini – 1 pc.;
• pepper – 1 pc.;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• lemon;
• salt, pepper, herbs.

Preparation:

1. Vegetables need to be washed and peeled.
2. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, and cut the remaining vegetables into cubes of approximately the same size.
3. Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan or saucepan.
4. Fry a clove of garlic crushed with the flat side of a knife in it, and then remove it.
5. Lightly fry the onion, add carrots, zucchini and pepper.
6. Lastly, add the tomato pieces, salt, spices and lemon juice.
7. Simmer over medium heat until done.
8. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with chopped herbs, and serve along with fried shrimp.

Such a tasty and healthy dinner can be prepared in just half an hour. Vegetables can be combined to suit your taste.

Cooking seafood in a slow cooker

Compound:

• shrimp – 0.5 kg;
• olive oil – 4 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 3 cloves.

Preparation:

1. Pour olive oil into the multicooker bowl.
2. Activate the “Frying” mode.
3. Place peeled and crushed garlic cloves in hot oil.
4. As the garlic roasts, it releases its flavor into the oil.
5. Pour frozen shrimp into the multicooker bowl.
6. The ice will begin to melt, and the crustaceans will boil in their own juice.
7. As soon as the water boils, stop the cooking process and take out the bowl. After all, our goal is not to overcook the shrimp.

You can also use a kitchen assistant - a pressure cooker. Let's discover the secrets of cooking using such a miracle technique.

Chinese marinated shrimp: affordable exotic

Seafood has a special place in Chinese cuisine. They are fried, pickled, baked and boiled. The combination of seasonings characteristic of this region - soy sauce and rice vinegar - gives the dishes a special taste.

Ingredients:

• fresh large unpeeled shrimp – 1 kg;
• natural soy sauce – 130-140 ml;
• rice vinegar (you can use regular vinegar) – 50 ml;
• cane sugar – 60 g;
• fresh ginger – 2 cm;
• refined vegetable oil – 250 ml;
• 2 medium-sized limes or 1 lemon;
• if desired, take 2 tbsp. l. sesame oil.

Preparation:

• remove the shells from the shrimp and fry them in a dry cast-iron frying pan until golden brown, put them in a jar;
• cut the ginger into cubes and put it in a jar, squeeze the lime or lemon juice into it;
• prepare the marinade - mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and oil, heat the mixture, you can add a little water;
• Pour the hot marinade over the shrimp and refrigerate for 3-5 days.

The finished dish is served with boiled rice or vegetables.

Marinating is an excellent solution for those who don’t really like seafood. It gives a subtle and unusual taste. Shrimps, marinated in different ways, pleasantly diversify both everyday and festive menus.

Shrimp are delicious on their own without additional ingredients, and true gourmets recommend enjoying them as a separate appetizer. This healthy product, rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements, containing a balanced composition of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, is well absorbed by the body. In addition, shrimp cook quickly, unless, of course, we are talking about shrimp paella, which still requires time and effort. Today we will talk about simple ways to cook shrimp.

Cooking shrimp in a double boiler

Compound:

• shrimps;
• soy sauce;
• lemon.

Preparation:

1. Let's defrost arthropods.
2. Rinse under running water.
3. Pour soy sauce over the shrimp and leave for 10 minutes.
4. Place the crustaceans in a steamer.
5. You can put lemon slices and dill in the bowl.
6. Steam our delicacy for 10-12 minutes.

King prawns fried in soy sauce

Fried king prawns in sauce are made in the same way as regular ones, the only difference is that you have to keep them on the fire a little longer.

Ingredients for the dish:

• 500 grams of shrimp; • two tablespoons each of olive oil and soy sauce; • half a small lemon; • a few slices of garlic, add according to your taste.

Cooking process:

1. Place a frying pan on the stove, add oil and let it heat up, then add chopped garlic and fry for a few minutes until a characteristic aroma appears. 2. Pour boiling water over the shrimp and immediately place it in the frying pan, pour soy sauce, lemon juice over everything, mix, and add a little pepper if desired. 3. Bring the seafood to readiness for about five minutes, so that it is fried and the sauce becomes thicker.

Wine based

The advantage of this recipe is that you can choose any shrimp to your taste, peeled or not, large or small, and you can also combine different ones to decorate the dish.

Wine will add piquancy to the shrimp and make the taste more refined.

For preparation you need:

• 750 g shrimp;
• salt;
• 4 cloves of garlic, cut into slices;
• ground black pepper;
• 6 – 8 sprigs of dill;
• 200 ml dry white wine;
• oil for frying, it is better to use olive oil;
• lemon for serving.

How to marinate shrimp with wine:

1. Before frying, the shrimp are marinated in wine with salt, garlic and pepper, and we also add sprigs of dill. It is better to wait longer so that the meat has time to soak in the delicious, spicy marinade. To do this, it is recommended to leave the entire preparation in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
2. Remove the meat from the marinade, peel off the garlic and dill, and dry with napkins or a paper towel.
3. Pour olive oil into the pan and wait until the surface heats up.
4. Fry seafood in batches - each shrimp should be well fried. After each batch, change the oil to fresh one. The shrimp meat is fried quickly - a minute on each side.

It is recommended to serve the finished dish with lemon, cut into slices. It is quite easy to prepare, but it turns out very tasty, suitable for a festive table. Despite the rather high cost, this seafood is so healthy that it’s worth treating yourself to this delicacy from time to time.

In lemon juice

Shrimp marinated with lemon juice is perfect for the holidays. This is a delicious and simple snack.

For preparation you need:

• celery stalk, cut into large pieces;
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced;
• lemon, cut into thin slices;
• 450 g raw peeled shrimp;
• dill;
• half a glass of apple cider vinegar;
• half a glass of olive oil;
• a quarter of hot red pepper, cut into small pieces;
• thyme sprigs;
• garlic clove;
• capers with marinade - 2 large spoons;
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard.

Preparation:

1. Mix celery, half the onion, half the lemon, salt in a large saucepan, dilute everything with 4 glasses of water.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Now you should add the shrimp, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid.
4. Leave to stand for 5 minutes until the meat turns pink, and then drain the broth.
5. Place a dill inflorescence at the bottom of a liter jar, then layer the seafood, the remaining lemon, onion, thyme, garlic, capers and mustard.
6. Separately, mix vinegar and olive oil in a glass - they will flake off, pour them into a jar with shrimp. It is necessary that the composition completely covers them. If this does not happen, you can add oil directly into the jar.
7. Close the jar with a lid and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
8. After this, the shrimp will turn into an exquisite, delicious appetizer.

The end result is a simple and very tasty dish. Marinating adds refinement to the taste. Prawns prepared in this way will help diversify both everyday and holiday menus.

For grilling

Grilled shrimp are not only tasty, but also healthy. They are prepared in this way very quickly, the main thing is to learn how to grill them, and also, which is very important, to properly marinate them first.

For preparation you need:

• 1 kg shrimp;
• a third of a glass of olive oil;
• a quarter of a glass of tomato sauce;
• 2 large spoons of wine vinegar;
• fresh basil, finely chopped;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• salt, ground pepper.

Preparation:

1. First you need to properly defrost the seafood. Place the shrimp in a sieve so that the thawing is gradual and they do not submerge in the resulting water.
2. For the marinade, you need to prepare a large bowl, mix vinegar, oil, tomato sauce, finely chopped garlic and basil in it. Then add salt and pepper.
3. The marinade for fried shrimp is poured over the meat and left for 1 hour in the refrigerator. It is recommended to cover the bowl with cling film or a lid to prevent foreign odors from penetrating inside.
4. Remove the shrimp and thread onto skewers, brushing with a little olive oil for an appetizing look.
5. The skewers are placed on the grill and fried on both sides until cooked through.

The taste of marinated grilled seafood will not leave anyone indifferent. In addition, all useful elements are preserved in meat.