Shrimp 101

Frozen Shrimp from Stephen's Butcher Shop in Port Carling.
Product of Argentina. Already deveined and split for easy peeling.
This 2-lb bag will contain 26-30 shrimp. 

Shrimp can be purchase with the shells on or off, cleaned (de-veined), raw or cooked. They are normally sized using the number of shrimp in one pound. For example, shrimp sized 16-20, means one pound will contain 16-20 shrimp. So, the smaller the number, the bigger the shrimp. I liked the 10-12 size.  Try to get the shrimp the same size as then they will cook uniformly. In the first photo you can see how these two varied.

Shrimp with the peel on will have more taste when cooked with the peel on. You can barbecue shrimp with the peel on and then peel them after they're cooked. The photos above show the shrimp with the shell on, boiled for 3-5 minutes on a simmer, depending on the size of them. Then they are added to a bowl of ice water, which stops the cooking, and make them easier to handle. Peel the shrimp and then using a knife, slice them down the back and remove any grit, black row, with a paper towel.

Serve as a shrimp cocktail with sauces, on a salad, or as an appetizer.

If possible buy the shrimp fresh. If you find them 'previously frozen' - use them all and do not re-freeze them. Sometimes the packaged frozen ones will have added salt so make sure you taste them before seasoning.