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.
Secrets of cooking delicious shrimp
Shrimp is a very delicate product, so if you do something wrong, you can ruin the dish or get a completely different taste than what you expected. The art of cooking shrimp has its own subtleties. It is better to defrost all seafood naturally at room temperature, and not under running hot water - in this case, the shrimp retain all their beneficial properties and pleasant taste. When cooking, put them only in boiling water, otherwise all the valuable substances and vitamins will go into the broth, unless, of course, you plan to cook shrimp soup. To improve the taste, spices and herbs are added to the shrimp. It is not recommended to subject them to prolonged heat treatment, as this will make them hard and rubbery. You can peel the shrimp both before and after, when they have cooled down. By the way, shrimp with brown heads are not spoiled or sick, but pregnant - their meat has a special nutritional value.
Boiled shrimp: elegant and simple
Properly cooked shrimp are a delicacy that can be served with any sauce and side dish. Rinse frozen or fresh shrimp in a colander under running water - warm or cold, but not hot. Pour 2.5–3 times more water into the pan than the approximate volume of shrimp; they should float freely in the pan. Salt the water, bring it to a boil, add bay leaves and any spices, such as peppercorns, cloves, paprika and allspice, squeeze out the juice of half a lemon and place the shrimp in the pan. The cooking time depends on their size and degree of readiness, because shrimp are sold in the store raw or boiled, the former are gray in color, and the latter have a pink tint. Keep cooked shrimp on the stove for 1–3 minutes (depending on size), and frozen ones for about 5–7 minutes. Don't overcook them or the meat will be tough as rubber. The finished shrimp float to the surface, and you just need to discard them in a colander to drain the water. Then you can peel the shrimp, although some chefs do this before cooking. It is also advised to keep the shrimp in the broth for 15 minutes after cooking to make them juicier, but this is not for everyone. Salads with shrimp, soups, and main courses for which the seafood is pre-boiled are also delicious.
TOP 7 recipes for dishes with shrimp
You will get acquainted with various shrimp recipes and methods of preparing them. This seafood can be boiled, fried, baked, stewed, pickled and dried. The dish can be presented on a festive table or a children's party. Rest assured, they will eat it first and ask for more.
Caesar salad with shrimp
Since shrimp are a hypoallergenic product, they can and should even be consumed by children. The recipe below for shrimp salad will appeal to many.
- Calorie content per 100 g - 83 kcal.
- Number of servings - 2-3
- Cooking time - 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce - 1 bunch
- Parmesan – 30 g
- Tiger shrimps (raw) - 10 pcs.
- Liquid honey - 1 tbsp.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice - 3 tsp.
- Olive oil - 7 tbsp.
- Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- Table salt - to taste
- White bread - 3 slices
- Garlic - 2-3 cloves
- Dry Provençal herbs - 1/2 tsp.
- Chicken egg - 1 pc.
- Mustard - 1/2 tsp.
- Anchovy fillet - 4 pcs.
- Worcestershire sauce - 5 drops
Step-by-step preparation of Caesar with shrimp:
- Raw shrimp are washed under running water and removed from the shell, head and intestinal vein. Dry with paper towels.
- The seafood is salted, peppered, freshly squeezed lemon juice, liquid honey and a tablespoon of olive oil are added. Mix the ingredients and let it brew for half an hour.
- Then wipe off the marinade with paper towels.
- Pour olive oil into a frying pan, heat it and add marinated shrimp.
- Fry them on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Place the fried shrimp in a bowl and prepare the sauce.
- Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a bowl, pass peeled garlic cloves through a press and leave for a couple of hours.
- After time, the mixture is poured into a frying pan and heated.
- White bread is cut into cubes and fried in garlic oil.
- After this, the croutons are poured onto a baking sheet, sprinkled with salt and Provençal herbs.
- Then they are placed in an oven at 180 degrees for 5-7 minutes.
- Now move on to preparing the Caesar sauce. Boil a soft-boiled egg in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes.
- Then it is added to a bowl and, using a blender, blended with mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. The consistency of the sauce should resemble mayonnaise.
- Finely chop the anchovy fillets with a knife and add to the sauce. Beat everything again with a blender and pour in Worcestershire sauce.
- Romaine lettuce leaves are washed and placed in cold water for an hour. Then they will be more juicy and crunchy. They are then dried with paper towels and finely torn by hand into a bowl.
- Add Caesar dressing and stir. Then lay out croutons, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and garnish with fried shrimp.
- Serve the salad with shrimp immediately so that the croutons do not have time to get soggy.
Fried shrimp with garlic
This dish will be an excellent appetizer with beer or wine. Its aroma will not leave even the most fastidious gourmet indifferent. It is high in calories, so it can neutralize the toxic effects of alcohol on the body.
Ingredients:
- Large tiger shrimps – 500 g
- Garlic - 4 cloves
- Lemon - 1/2 pcs.
- Dill - 1 bunch
- Parsley - 1 bunch
- Butter - 50 g
- Table salt - to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- Soy sauce - to taste
Step-by-step preparation of fried shrimp with garlic:
- Thaw the shrimp at room temperature and then dry it with paper towels.
- Carefully remove the shell.
- Garlic cloves are washed, peeled and passed through a press to the seafood.
- Squeeze the juice out of half a lemon and pour it into the shrimp.
- The ingredients are salted and peppered at your own discretion. Mix thoroughly.
- Leave them for half an hour. The shrimp will be saturated with spices and will be juicier.
- Heat the frying pan over low heat and add butter. When it melts, you need to add seafood.
- Fry the shrimp in a frying pan for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Before serving, the dish is poured with soy sauce and crushed with chopped herbs.
Shrimp pasta in creamy sauce
The excellent combination of ingredients, exquisite aroma and appetizing appearance of this dish will give you a lot of pleasure. It is often included in the menu of Mediterranean restaurants.
Ingredients:
- Paste – 250 g
- Shrimp – 200 g
- Cream - 150 ml
- Butter - 20 g
- Onion - 50 g
- Garlic - 2 cloves
- Parsley - 20 g
- Salt - to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Step-by-step preparation of shrimp pasta in creamy sauce:
- Peel the onion and garlic, chop finely and fry in melted butter for a couple of minutes.
- Raw shrimp are peeled and also thrown into the frying pan. Pepper and salt at your own discretion. Fry on both sides for 3-4 minutes.
- The ingredients are poured with cream and brought to a boil.
- Finely chop the parsley, throw it into the frying pan and turn off the gas.
- Place pasta in boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Then it is combined with shrimp in a creamy sauce, mixed thoroughly and served immediately.
Cheese soup with shrimp
Preparing this dish will not take much effort and time. It will be nutritious and will acquire a characteristic marine aroma.
Ingredients:
- Sea salt - to taste
- Processed cheese – 400 g
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Dill - 30 g
- Shrimp – 200 g
- Potatoes - 200 g
- Carrots – 100 g
- Sunflower oil – 40 ml
- Saffron - to taste
- Parsley - 30 g
Step-by-step preparation of cheese soup with shrimp:
- Pour 2 liters of filtered water into the pan and add processed cheese.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and chop them into small cubes. When the cheese has dissolved, add the potatoes.
- Salt the broth at your discretion and add saffron.
- Onions and carrots are peeled and cut into small pieces.
- The vegetables are thrown into a frying pan and fried until golden brown.
- Add the shrimp and roasted vegetables to the pan when the potatoes are tender.
- After boiling, add chopped parsley and dill to the soup.
- Mix the ingredients and remove the dish from the stove. Let it sit for about half an hour and you can serve it.
Grilled shrimp
Below is a recipe for delicious shrimp that will take your breath away with its delicious aroma. They are easy to prepare for a picnic.
Ingredients:
- King prawns (raw) - 500 g
- Soy sauce - 50 ml
- Lime - 2 pcs.
- Honey - 2 tsp.
- Grated ginger - 2 tsp.
- Garlic - 4 cloves
- Olive oil – 150 ml
Steps to prepare grilled shrimp:
- Thaw shrimp at room temperature.
- The limes are washed and put through a juicer.
- Garlic cloves are peeled and finely chopped.
- Grated ginger, honey, lime juice, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic are combined in a bowl.
- Mix the components thoroughly.
- Back to the shrimp again. They are washed, the head and shell are removed and the entrails are removed.
- Seafood is salted and peppered at your own discretion. Let it brew for 15 minutes.
- After this, the shrimp are soaked in the marinade and placed on the grill.
- Keep for a few minutes on each side and serve immediately.
Steamed shrimp
This recipe will show you how to steam shrimp with minimal effort. This dish is very healthy and can be consumed even with intestinal diseases.
Ingredients:
- King prawns - 16-20 pcs.
- Filtered water – 1 l
- Table salt - 3 tbsp.
- Quail egg - 1 pc.
- Mustard - 1 tsp.
- Paprika - 1/2 tsp.
- Olive oil – 100 ml
- Basil - a few sprigs
- Garlic - 2-3 cloves
- Wine vinegar - 1 tbsp.
Steps for steaming shrimp:
- Frozen seafood is placed in the refrigerator a day before cooking.
- All the liquid that leaks out will be useful to you, so don’t rush to pour it out.
- The shrimp are removed from the insides and heads. The shell is left in order to preserve the juiciness of the meat.
- The remaining shrimp liquid and a pinch of table salt are diluted in filtered water. Shrimp are added there after 5 minutes. This brine will create a rich flavor.
- After half an hour, the shrimp are removed and washed under running water.
- During this period of time, you can start preparing mayonnaise.
- Combine quail egg, paprika and mustard in a container. Beat with a whisk and gradually begin to pour in olive oil. Keep whisking the mixture.
- After this, garlic cloves, basil sprigs and table salt are ground in a mortar.
- The resulting paste, together with wine vinegar, is added to mayonnaise and stirred until it becomes a homogeneous emulsion.
- Then the shrimp are placed in a double boiler, and the brine is poured into a saucepan, put on fire and brought to a boil.
- After 5-6 minutes the shrimp will be ready. They are served with homemade mayonnaise.
Shrimp in the oven
The seafood acquires an appetizing crispy crust and is perfectly baked inside.
Ingredients:
- Tiger prawns (unpeeled) - 450 g
- Melted butter - 3 tbsp.
- Table salt - 1/2 tsp.
- Freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp.
- Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp.
Step-by-step preparation of shrimp in the oven:
- The oven is heated to 230 degrees and the baking sheet is wiped with non-stick baking spray.
- The intestinal veins are removed from the shrimp and the head is removed, but the shell is left, because it will keep the meat juicy.
- Wash the seafood in a colander under running water.
- The shrimp are then spread over the baking sheet. It is advisable to do this in one layer so that the meat is evenly baked.
- After this, the shrimp are poured with melted butter, sprinkled with table salt, garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper.
- You can stir the shrimp with a wooden spatula to infuse them with the spices.
- Next, they are covered with a sheet of foil and baked until they turn pink. After 5 minutes, turn the shrimp over to the other side.
- Excess liquid from the baking sheet is drained. Ready shrimp are served on a serving platter.
Healthy steamed shrimp
Sprinkle the washed, unpeeled shrimp with seafood seasoning and leave for a few minutes so that they are saturated with the aroma of spices and aromatic herbs. Place shrimp in an even layer in the bottom of a steamer basket and top with lemon slices, carrots, celery and onion. Lemon gives the shrimp freshness, and vegetables highlight their taste, making the seafood more piquant and delicious. Steam the shrimp for 7-9 minutes, then cool, peel and serve with a sauce of melted butter mixed with lemon juice. Various appetizers and salads with steamed shrimp are very tasty.
Shrimp and chicken salad for dinner
We present to your attention a tender, light and incredibly tasty salad with shrimp and chicken. Postpone the preparation of “herring under a fur coat” and crab salad for another day and surprise your loved ones with a new, original appetizer. You don’t need any unavailable products or special skills - you just need the desire to eat deliciously.
Ingredients:
- peeled shrimp – 300 g;
- chicken fillet – 300 g;
- hard-boiled egg – 3 pcs.;
- canned peas – 100 g;
- pickled gherkins – 100 g;
- fresh cucumber – 100 g;
- boiled potatoes and carrots – 150 g each;
- salt, mayonnaise to taste;
- cabbage.
How to prepare a delicious salad with shrimp, chicken and Chinese cabbage:
Wash the meat and boil in boiling salted water until cooked.
If you add a little bones and peel, you will get a delicious broth.
Also cook the shrimp - no more than 3 minutes in boiling water, otherwise they will be rubbery.
Cut all the products into small cubes or bars, grate the eggs on a coarse grater, leave a few shrimp for decoration. Season everything with mayonnaise (you can “halve” it with sour cream or yogurt), add salt.
Serve in a salad bowl or on Chinese cabbage leaves, garnished with whole shrimp. The most delicious, but very easy to prepare salad with shrimp and chicken is ready. Bon appetit and have a wonderful holiday!
How to cook spaghetti with shrimp sauce
Fried shrimp: step by step recipe
Frying shrimp may not be the healthiest way to cook them, but it's so delicious that you can't resist, especially if you fry it with spices and serve it with spicy sauces. Try making fried king prawns with garlic and rosemary - they turn out very appetizing and filling. By the way, king shrimp are called because of their size, but you can use any shrimp, not necessarily large ones.
Ingredients: king prawns in shell - 1 kg, garlic - 4 cloves, dried rosemary - ½ tsp, vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l., salt - to taste.
Cooking method:
1. Rinse the shrimp in warm water, defrost if necessary.
2. Chop the garlic.
3. Pour a lot of vegetable oil into the pan and let it get hot.
4. Sauté the garlic and rosemary for 2-3 minutes.
5. Place the thawed and dried shrimp in the pan so that they drown in the oil.
6. Fry the shrimp until the shell darkens.
7. Place the cooked shrimp on a paper towel to absorb the fat.
8. Serve with herbs and lemon.
You can fry shrimp breaded with flour, sesame seeds, bread crumbs, coconut flakes or starch, in the shell or without the shell. The dish prepares very quickly, and its taste is truly royal!
This is interesting to know before peeling shrimp.
- Before or before the shrimp are cooked, they are peeled. To do this, the shell is removed, and then the intestinal vein, which runs along the back.
- Boiled or steamed shrimp are juicier when cooked in the shell. Therefore, they are cleaned after. Before cooking, it is worth cleaning if you will be using the grilling technique or sautéing.
- Technique for removing the intestinal vein: Place the convex side of the shrimp in the palm of your working hand. Using a sharp knife, make an incision to the intestinal vein or a little deeper. Using the tip of a knife, scrape out any excess from the shrimp. Recipes for preparing peeled crustaceans are also used without cutting.
- To clean without cutting, use a toothpick. Pick it up with a sharp tip and pull it out carefully.
- Shrimp tempura
If you are thinking about how to cook shrimp for an appetizer, we offer a win-win option that everyone likes, without exception - tempura. The crispy crust, amazing pulp inside and pleasant sweet and salty taste will give you moments of enjoyment of delicious food. For the dish, use large varieties.
This is interesting: Depending on their habitat, there are shrimp that live in warm and cool waters. The distribution environment largely determines the size and taste of the shrimp. Cooking recipes must take this nuance into account. The northern waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans contain smaller, but also milder, populations compared to those caught from the warm waters of the tropics. At the same time, species from the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico have a sweeter shell, which affects the taste of sauces or soups.
Prepare:
- 1.7 kg. shrimp or 16-20 pcs.;
- 480 ml. sunflower oil;
- 240 ml. sesame oil;
- 240 ml. peanut butter.
Required for batter:
- 3 eggs;
- 220 gr. ice;
- 480 ml. water;
- 370 gr. flour for batter and 2-3 spoons for sprinkling shrimp.
Shrimp tempura
How to cook:
- Before you cook the tempura shrimp, be sure to remove the intestinal vein from each one. Use the technology described above that is convenient for you.
- Combine three types of oil in a high-sided saucepan.
- Heat the oil mixture to 170 degrees.
- While the oil is heating, prepare the tempura: beat the eggs, add water and crushed ice.
- Gradually add flour and knead the mixture.
- Place 2-3 tablespoons of flour into a bowl.
- Dip shrimp in flour; continue cooking recipes by dipping in batter. For convenience, hold each one by the tail.
- Once the body is coated with the dough, dip each one into the hot oil.
- Deep fry until golden brown.
- Remove portions with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel and serve with sauce to taste.
Grilled shrimp: a crispy miracle
Rinse the shrimp and remove the shell, but leave the tail to make them look more original. Soak the shrimp in a marinade made from olive oil, lemon juice and zest, crushed garlic and a variety of spices to suit your taste. Place the marinade in the refrigerator for an hour, and then thread the shrimp onto wooden skewers, a few pieces each. Place the shrimp skewers on the grill or grill, leaving some room between the skewers for air circulation. Drizzle the shrimp with any oil, sprinkle with your favorite spices, salt and fry for 2 minutes on each side. In the same way, the shrimp are cooked over a fire and served hot on the skewers along with the salsa.
Shrimp salad: a very tasty and easy recipe
Great as an addition to dinner or as a separate dish!
Ingredients:
- 150 g shrimp, cooked and peeled;
- 50 g of different lettuce leaves;
- 1 lemon;
- 2 onions;
- 1 tablespoon vinegar;
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil;
- herbs at your discretion;
- salt pepper;
- 4 chopped tomatoes;
- 100 g green olives;
- 50 g sunflower seeds.
How to cook:
1. Place your favorite lettuce leaves on a plate, then the tomatoes.
2. Arrange the cooked and peeled shrimp over the lettuce and tomatoes.
3. Chop the onion into very small pieces.
4. Prepare a sauce from butter, herbs, salt and pepper, leave for 15 minutes.
5. Sprinkle a layer of shrimp with onion pieces and place olives nearby.
6. Pour in the sauce and sprinkle lightly with seeds.
How to cook shrimp kebab in a frying pan quickly
How to cook shrimp in the microwave in 5 minutes
You will be surprised how quickly you can bake shrimp in the microwave - seafood prepared in this way turns out very tender and juicy. Rinse the thawed shrimp well, rub them with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with herbs and garlic, you can also pour soy sauce diluted with water over them. Microwave for 4-7 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp), then drain and serve. If you don’t have time to cook shrimp soup, why not bake them for 5 minutes in the microwave?
Baked shrimp in the oven with spices
Shrimp baked in the oven turns out to be unusually tender and aromatic, especially since there is a very simple and piquant way to prepare them. Place the washed shrimp on a baking sheet and prepare the sauce - to do this, heat the butter and vegetable oil in a frying pan with garlic, salt, pepper and a small amount of lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the shrimp on a baking sheet and bake them for 5–10 minutes in an oven preheated to 200°C. Instead of sauce, you can put pieces of butter on the shrimp, sprinkle them with herbs and any seasonings, using your imagination.
— Shrimp in a wok —
This method is distinguished by its sophistication and is quite suitable for the role of a main dish. The shrimp are fried in a wok or large frying pan in organic ghee or avocado oil, to which a generous amount of garlic is first added. As soon as the oil heats up, broccoli and green pea pods are placed in it 1-2 minutes before the shrimp, followed by the shrimp. After adding the shrimp, increase the heat under the pan to medium-high and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly and adding salt, pepper, spices and white wine. Then the heat is reduced and the dish is cooked for another 5-8 minutes until the vegetables become soft. Before serving, sprinkle the dish with a small amount of lime juice.
Stewed shrimp: even softer and juicier
First, steamed shrimp are prepared in the same way as fried shrimp - peel and rinse them well, lightly dry with a towel and let air dry. At this time, fry chopped garlic and some herbs in butter, add shrimp to the pan and brown them until nicely browned, this will take about 2 minutes. Fill the contents of the pan with water (just a little) and simmer for 5-7 minutes, then drain and serve with a side dish. If shrimp are stewed with vegetables, you get a delicious shrimp stew.
— Boiled shrimp —
Traditional Russian method of preparing shrimp. The role of the marinade here is played by a brine consisting of water with the addition of pepper, bay leaf, dill and garlic. The water is allowed to boil, then cooked for 10 minutes. After creating a flavor base, add shrimp, salt and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
Dried shrimp - a homemade delicacy for beer
Boil the shrimp for 5 minutes in salted water, cool and peel them completely. Dry the shrimp in the sun for several days or in the oven for 5 hours at 60 °C - the drying time is calculated individually depending on the size of the shrimp. They should dry out and shrink very much in size; it is no coincidence that the Chinese call this dish “shrimp rice.” Dried shrimp, which are pre-soaked in water or wine, are used as an addition to side dishes or served as an appetizer with beer. Salads, rice and spaghetti with dried shrimp are especially tasty.
Spicy marinated shrimp
When you get tired of shrimp rolls, soups and salads, try marinating shrimp - you will certainly love this unusual appetizer. Bring 30 peeled shrimp to a boil in salted water with a bay leaf. Drain the water, cool and transfer them to a half-liter jar or small saucepan. Add to the shrimp a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, chopped parsley and any spices according to your eye - coriander, peppercorns, cloves, cumin or chili. Pour 1 tsp into a jar. vinegar or lemon juice, add ½ tsp. salt and fill to the top with vegetable oil. Marinated shrimp are ready the next day - you can eat them as an independent snack, make pizza with shrimp and other dishes from them.
Shrimp can be simmered in a slow cooker, baked in a convection oven, boiled in a pressure cooker, fried in batter or boiled in beer. Seafood is always healthy, so you can come up with a variety of ways to cook shrimp and serve them with delicious sauces.
Spaghetti with pesto sauce and shrimp
Spaghetti with pesto sauce is a classic and, believe me, a very tasty classic. Pasta goes very well with pesto sauce. You can use basil pesto, cilantro pesto or mushroom pesto. This dish is quick to prepare and is perfect for a second main course.
You will need:
- spaghetti - 1/2 pack;
- pesto sauce - 100 g;
- cream - 200 ml;
- shrimp - 300 g;
- parmesan cheese - 100 g;
- salt - to taste.
How to cook spaghetti with shrimp for the main course:
Boil the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. The main thing here is not to overcook. It's better to undercook slightly. While the spaghetti is cooking, prepare the pesto sauce, boil and peel the shrimp. When the spaghetti is cooked, place it in a colander.
In the pan where the spaghetti was cooked, bring the cream to a boil; as soon as it boils, add the pesto sauce. We also put the prepared spaghetti and shrimp there, mix everything and heat it up.
Place on plates and sprinkle with grated cheese on top. That's it, you can serve. Bon appetit! The taste is amazing - creamy and nutty, and even shrimp!