The Best Shrimp Recipes Around (2024)

FAQs

What makes shrimp taste better? ›

Start With a Dry Brine, No Matter How You're Cooking

Before we dive into the details, there's one technique that we've found improves all shrimp, regardless of cooking method: a quick dry brine with salt and baking soda.

The Best Shrimp Around the World

Banana prawn is a shrimp that is native to Thailand and Northern Australia. Due to its thick body, these shrimp are great for grilling. They are sweet and have a flaky texture. Chinese White shrimp are native to China and are harvested in cold water.

There are countless ways to season shrimp. For this recipe, we use a mixture of chipotle chile powder, paprika, cumin and garlic powder. It's slightly spicy, smoky and savory. Feel free to experiment with other spices, such as ancho chile powder and smoked paprika.

Soak shrimp in brine

Soak quickly in brine to keep lean seafood moist as it cooks and season it throughout. A solution of 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 quart water works to season 1 pound of seafood. Dissolve the salt in the water, and then submerge the shrimp and chill for 30 minutes.

Alkaline baking soda slightly alters the pH of the shrimp, making them as plump and succulent as lobster and resistant to overcooking. The brine also causes the meat to pull away from the shells while cooking, so you get all the great flavor of shell-on shrimp without the hassle.

Simple garlic and butter can add a mild but tasty flavor to shrimp. Add about a spoonful or so of butter and a couple of cloves of minced garlic to your shrimp. Mix the shrimp together until they're coated in the garlic and butter and then enjoy. Serve your shrimp as a snack.

If you're concerned about antibiotics in shrimp, it's best to opt for wild-caught shrimp, which is never treated with antibiotics. Additionally, you can be assured that shrimp caught and prepared in the United States does not contain antibiotics.

It turns out that bigger is NOT better. the larger the shrimp, the older it is. The older it is, the tougher and more iodine-y the shrimp tastes. Smaller younger shrimp are sweeter and more tender.

Which herb goes well with shrimp? ›

Herbs and blends that go well with shrimp are: basil, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, chili powder, chives, cilantro, curry powder, dill, garlic, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.

Hence, always marinate your shrimp before cooking to infuse them with flavor. It does not require you to whip up a fancy mixture for marinating you shrimp. A simple mixture of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and your favorite herbs can do wonders.

You can also use your favorite packaged spice blend (just make sure that you also have salt in the blend or on hand to season the shrimp). Rinse the frozen shrimp. A quick, cold rinse removes ice crystals from the shrimp and loosens any shrimp that are stuck together. Toss the shrimp with the spice blend.

Steaming shrimp is one of the best ways to cook the shellfish. The gentle cooking technique helps elevate shrimp's flavor and tender snap.

Add Lime Juice

Therefore, how to process shrimp, so they are not fishy can be done by adding lime juice which can help disguise the fishy smell. When adding the lime juice, don't forget to let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes so that the fishy smell of the shrimp completely disappears.

We've found an easy way to eliminate the smell: Soak the fish or the shellfish meat in milk for 20 minutes and then drain and pat dry. The casein in milk binds to the TMA, and when drained away, it takes the culprit that causes fishy odor with it. The result is seafood that's sweet smelling and clean-flavored.