How to Cook Shrimp

Shrimp are decapod crustaceans and can be found in all parts of the world. Shrimp are different from prawns, but the names are frequently used interchangeably. Large shrimp are frequently called prawns. To the consumer, this is irrelevant because the taste is very similar, and in most cases you won't be able to tell the difference. In Britain and Australia, the name prawn is used on menus and packaging, where as in America, the name of shrimp is most common. Shrimp play a huge roll in commercial fishing; in 2005, 3.42 million tons of shrimp were harvested.

Types of Shrimp

Shrimp are less often marketed by species than they are by size or weight. Shrimp are classified into categories by how many shrimp of a specific size there are per pound. For example, shrimp labeled U16 means there are 16 per pound. Common species caught in American waters are pink shrimp, white shrimp, brown shrimp, royal shrimp, and rock shrimp. The brown shrimp constitutes nearly half of the shrimp harvested in the United States. The black tiger shrimp is commonly found in grocery stores and is imported from the Indo-Pacific region.

Cooking Shrimp

Shrimp can be purchased either peeled, deveined, cooked, fresh, or frozen. Fresh shrimp is always better but not always an option. Buying cooked shrimp should be reserved as a last resort. Would you buy frozen, precooked steak? Shrimp is prepared in several different ways. Primarily it is boiled lightly in salt water, but shrimp can also be broiled, grilled, pan-fried, deep-fried, and steamed. It's really easy to cook shrimp, but it is also easy to overcook them. Once overcooked, the meat will be very chewy like rubber. Try to avoid that.