Learn how to deliciously cook frozen shrimp with and without shells

Posted on Oct 16th, 2021,

by Chief Milkman

Categories:

• Cooking tips

Boiling shrimp is a delicate matter. The delicate delicacy is very easy to spoil: overcook it in boiling water, and it will instantly become “rubbery,” dry and tasteless. Like other seafood, shrimp cook very quickly - even the largest (tiger or so-called king) will take no more than 10 minutes to get ready. Moreover, when choosing a method and determining the duration of cooking, you need to take into account not only the size, but also the type of product. For example, frozen, unpeeled shrimp need to be cooked longer than peeled and previously thawed shrimp. There are few rules and subtleties, but compliance with them is very important for a tasty result.

Let's figure out how to cook shrimp according to all the rules and how long to cook them

1. Raw frozen (fresh frozen) shrimp are easily recognized by their gray, sometimes grey-green color. Boiled-frozen ones are red-orange, this color indicates that they were subjected to heat treatment before industrial freezing.
   

   Raw langoustines and Argentine shrimp have a red shell color, so be sure to check the manufacturer's information before cooking them.

2. Fresh, high-quality shrimp have a whole shell and a uniformly colored body, without yellow spots and windy areas, the tail is bent inward.
3. Shrimp boiled in the shell turns out juicier and richer. But the esophagus left in the body can ruin their taste. The shell is cut along the curved “back” with kitchen scissors, the esophagus is removed, and only then the cooking begins.
4. To make the appetizer softer and juicier, it is better to defrost frozen seafood before boiling. If you immerse them in boiling water immediately after freezing, they will not cook evenly. In addition, a thawed product after cooking will be much easier and faster to clean.
5. Add salt to the water during cooking to taste. Recommended proportion 1 tbsp. l. salt per 1 liter of liquid.
6. You should not overexpose the shrimp in water so that they do not turn out rubbery. The maximum cooking time for large seafood is 10 minutes, medium – 6 minutes, small – 3 minutes.
7. To avoid an unpleasant odor, add lemon and aromatic spices to the water during cooking - bay leaf, allspice and black pepper, garlic, herbs, cloves. Vegetables/roots would also be useful - carrots, celery, parsley or parsnip root.

Popular shrimp recipes

Peeled shrimp in sour cream

Ingredients:

• seafood – 0.5 kg;
• sour cream – 1 glass;
• vegetable oil – 50 g;
• dill and parsley - 1 bunch;
• allspice and salt - to taste.

Cooking technology:

1. Thaw the sea animals and then clean them.
2. Grease the bottom of an enamel pan with oil and put sour cream there in an even layer.
3. Heat the container over the fire and add chopped herbs there.
4. After 2 minutes, add the prepared carcasses into the sauce, then simmer over low heat for 7-10 minutes.
5. Serve hot.

King prawns in batter

Ingredients:

• king prawns – 0.5 kg;
• eggs – 2 pcs.;
• flour – 2 tablespoons;
• lemon - half;
• soy sauce – 2 tablespoons;
• olive oil – 100 grams;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe:

1. Thaw semi-finished products and then peel them. Here it is important to remove not only the shell, but also the insides. This must be done carefully so as not to disturb the integrity of the small “cancer”.
2. Soak the carcasses in soy sauce and lemon juice. Salt, pepper, mix and remove this mass to marinate in a cold place for half an hour.
3. Prepare the batter. To do this, beat the eggs in a deep bowl, add flour and salt, and then mix thoroughly until smooth.
4. Take a frying pan with a thick bottom and heat vegetable oil in it.
5. We take the marinated shrimp out of the refrigerator and start frying. To do this, each carcass should be dipped in batter and placed in a frying pan.
6. Tender meat should be fried for 1 minute on each side, and then placed on a paper napkin to drain excess fat.
7. Place the finished “curls” on a large dish. Serve with soy sauce.

Shrimp salad with herbs

Ingredients:

• seafood – 0.5 kg;
• fresh cucumbers – 3 pcs.;
• tomatoes – 3 pcs.;
• mozzarella cheese - 50 grams;
• onion – 1 medium-sized head;
• parsley and dill – 1 bunch;
• olive oil – 1 tablespoon;
• salt, sugar, vinegar - to taste.

Cooking technology:

1. Cook the seafood, cool, and then clean them.
2. Cut the vegetables into half rings and pour into a deep bowl.
3. Cut the cheese into medium-sized cubes, then add to the vegetables.
4. Mix the ingredients and then add the oil and spices.
5. Take a large dish and place the cleaned carcasses around the edge.
6. Place vegetable salad in the middle of the dish.

Sprinkle the top of the dish with herbs - the masterpiece is ready!

Cook delicious raw (gray) frozen unpeeled shrimp (in the shell and with the head)

1. Pour water into the pan, add spices to taste. Place on the fire, bring to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

2. Thaw and rinse the shrimp under the tap and drain in a colander. If desired, remove the esophagus through an incision along the back. But you can boil the shrimp whole and then peel them in a ready-made form.
3. Place in boiling water. After boiling again, add salt. Large shrimp should be cooked for 8-10 minutes, medium ones – 5-7, small ones – 3-4 minutes.
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Remove the finished shrimp with a slotted spoon and transfer to ice or cold water to complete the heat treatment process.

How to fry frozen shrimp

You can fry shrimp either defrosted or frozen. Thawed carcasses are fried in oil for 3-5 minutes until the meat turns white. However, before frying, they should be cleaned: remove the shell and head.

Basic rules for frying shrimp

For cooking you need a frying pan with a thick bottom. It needs to be heated, add oil, salt and garlic. After 3 minutes, remove the garlic from the oil and place the sea carcasses there.

Frozen semi-finished products are placed in a heated frying pan for 5 minutes to defrost. As soon as the excess liquid evaporates from the frying pan, add oil and fry as in the first case for 3-5 minutes. Thus, boiled-frozen semi-finished products are fried for 10 minutes.

Cooking tiger prawns takes 12 minutes.

Tips and tricks:

1. The product must be thoroughly thawed before cooking.
2. As a rule, already purified product is subject to heat treatment.
3. A frying pan should only be selected with a thick bottom. This will prevent the tender meat from burning.
4. It is advisable to cook the dish in olive oil.
5. Before heat treatment, small crayfish should be marinated so that they are sufficiently saturated and absorb the spices.
6. The “curls” should be fried in a heated frying pan.
7. 3-5 minutes are enough for frying. Overcooked seafood tastes like rubber.
8. Arthropods in the shell should be fried for at least 10 minutes. A bright red color will indicate the dish is ready. Consumes such “crayfish” directly with the shell. In this form, seafood will be even healthier, because the shell contains chitosan, which has a beneficial effect on human health.

Recipe for cooking with butter

Ingredients:

• frozen carcasses – 1 kg;
• butter – 200 grams;
• garlic – 4-6 cloves;
• lemon zest – 3 tablespoons;
• red pepper – 1 pod;
• ground black pepper and salt - 1 pinch each.

Cooking method:

1. Place frozen semi-finished products on a heated frying pan and cover with a lid. This is necessary so that the excess liquid evaporates.
2. Peel the garlic, then mince with a garlic clove.
3. When all the water has evaporated, add oil, garlic, pepper to the frying pan and fry for 5-6 minutes over medium heat.

Serve the finished carcasses with a side dish.

Recipe for cooking with vegetable oil

Ingredients:

• frozen semi-finished products – 1 kg;
• olive or sunflower oil – 2-3 tablespoons;
• garlic – 6-7 cloves;
• lemon – 2 pcs.;
• salt - to taste.

Cooking technology:

1. Place semi-finished products in a hot frying pan with a thick bottom, fry them over high heat until completely defrosted and the water evaporates.
2. Then add oil and salt to the soft carcasses. Squeeze the zest from the lemons and pour over the meat. So, stirring, fry the shrimp over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
3. Peel the garlic, chop it, add to the frying pan.
4. Mix everything, cover with a lid, leave for another 1 minute.

Serve the finished dish with garlic sauce.

We tell you how to cook frozen peeled shrimp

1. If the shrimp are frozen, defrost them. Then fill the pan with water and add your favorite spices. You can also add small coarsely chopped carrots and a root or stalk of celery if you like. Place on the stove, turn on the burner to medium power. After the water boils, cook for 3-5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the shrimp in a bowl of cold water and rinse well.
3. After this, pour into boiling water and wait until the water boils again. The approximate cooking time for small shrimp (Black Sea, Azov, northern) is 2-3 minutes, medium – 4-6 minutes, large – 6-8, and the largest (tiger, botan) can be cooked for up to 10 minutes. It is very important not to overcook the delicate product in boiling water.
4. After cooking, drain in a colander/sieve. You can also immediately put it on ice - this will stop the thermal processes immediately.

Now the shrimp can be used for their intended purpose - eaten as a stand-alone snack or added with other ingredients.

Tiger prawns cooked in a pan with herbs and spices