What kind of shrimp should you buy?
The one behind the case in your store's seafood department, frozen raw, already cooked, or the shrimp that's sold in a ring of pinkness?
Here's my advice to you:
Always buy RAW, frozen shrimp, the one that looks gray, not pink. The shrimp on the LEFT, not on the right. It's also a good idea to buy shrimp in packages where you can see what the shrimp looks like, so you'll be able to see the size, and be sure it's not freezer burned.
Why?
The seemingly fresh shrimp that you see in the seafood market was most likely shipped to your store frozen, and was unthawed at the store. Who knows how long it was sitting there on that ice? Does that sound appealing to you? It's best to just buy it frozen, for the best freshness.
Most shrimp that is caught is flash frozen right away, so it really is fresh.
Why not buy the shrimp already cooked?
Most importantly, because when it's already cooked and you cook it again in your own recipe, you are really overcooking the shrimp and it will not be as juicy and plump as when you cook it yourself the first time.
Think of it this way. Would you buy chicken already cooked and then thaw it and cook it again? Probably not. It's the same way with shrimp. Seafood cooks SO quickly, that it's very hard not to overcook it.
You don't know how long they are cooking it at the factory, most likely way too long. The most important reason that I choose to buy raw shrimp, is because I can control the freshness, juiciness and flavor of my shrimp if I do it myself.
Besides, it only takes a few minutes to cook the shrimp, so it's not much of a shortcut, if you take the time to do it yourself.
My Top 5 Shrimp Recipes:
Lemon Garlic Grilled Shrimp:
Shrimp Scampi:
Marinated Shrimp:
Penne With Creamy Tomato Vodka Sauce and Seared Shrimp:
Crunchy Spiced Shrimp:
Just a note about buying shrimp. I always peruse the package info to see if the shrimp are farmed in Asian countries, (many horror stories about how that process works), and also worth noting is that over 90% of shrimp are treated with tripolyphosphates. It is used to retain water so you're paying for the weight of the water as well. Also it's a rather unhealthy chemical to be consuming. HAVE A GREAT DAY !!!
I love your lemon garlic grilled shrimp. It is so good and I want it now so bad. Thank you for sharing all of your great tips.
Thanks, Galya.
When I was writing this post, I started craving the grilled shrimp too:). I guess it's fine to fire up the grill.
Thank u so much for sharing with us!!! U are an awesome cook! God bless!!!
Thanks, Tatyana. I'm glad you are finding this to be helpful.
Love your shrimp scampi. I've made it so many times now, it's so fast and easy to prepare. If all meals were that easy. I haven't tried any of your other shrimp recipes, but definitely will in future. I don't like a chewy shrimp, so buying raw and preparing it myself like you suggest is the best way to go.
Shrimp Scampi one of my favorites too, Oksana. So easy to make, tastes fresh and light.
Raw shrimp is the way to go:).