Here's everything worth knowing about shrimp and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 1,216 recipes to cook tonight.
What is shrimp?
Shrimp is also known as "prawns" in many areas around the world and the terms are used interchangeably.
As with other seafood, shrimp is high in calcium, iodine and protein but low in food energy. A shrimp-based meal is also a significant source of cholesterol, from 122 mg to 251 mg per 100 g of shrimp, depending on the method of preparation. Shrimp consumption, however, is considered healthy for the circulatory system because the lack of significant levels of saturated fat in shrimp means that the high cholesterol content in shrimp actually improves the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol and lowers triglyceride.
Preparing shrimp for consumption usually involves removing the head, shell, tail, and "sand vein".
To de-shell a shrimp, the tail is held while gently removing the shell around the body. The tail can be detached completely at this point, or left attached for presentation purposes.
Removing the "vein" can be referred to as "deveining", though in fact shrimp do not have any real veins; they have an open circulatory system.
The "vein" can be removed by making a shallow cut lengthwise down the outer curve of the shrimp's body, allowing the dark ribbon-like digestive tract to be removed with a pointed utensil.
Alternatively, if the tail has been detached, the vein can be pinched at the tail end and pulled out completely with the fingers. The shrimp is then rinsed under cold running water.
Types of shrimp
Specific kinds of shrimp and the recipes that use them.
Cooked shrimp is shrimp that has already been boiled or steamed and chilled, sold ready to eat. You find it on the seafood counter or in the freezer, pink and curled, peeled or shell-on, often labeled "cooked" or "ready to eat."
The whole point is convenience. The shrimp is done, so there is no raw seafood to handle and no guesswork about doneness. You thaw it, give it a rinse, then drop it straight into a salad or a cocktail.
That convenience comes with one catch: it has already been cooked once, so any further heat is a liability, not a step.
Baby shrimp are the tiny, pink, fully cooked shrimp you buy already peeled, often labeled salad shrimp or bay shrimp. Each one is roughly the size of a thumbnail, and a single pound holds well over a hundred of them.
They come precooked and ready to eat, which is the whole point. You don't cook these the way you would a raw shrimp. You thaw them, drain them well, and toss them straight into cold dishes or into warm ones at the very end.
Their flavor is mild and sweet, and their job is convenience. When a recipe wants shrimp folded through something rather than featured as the star, baby shrimp spare you the peeling and deveining.
Plump shrimp tossed with smoky chipotle butter and piled onto warm corn tortillas. Mexican-style shrimp tacos with creamy avocado and ranchero sauce in 40 minutes.
Thai pumpkin and coconut cream soup blends shrimp, lemongrass, and chilies into a paste, then simmers cubed pumpkin in coconut milk with basil for a fragrant Southeast Asian first course.
This is a delicious starter from my book named 'The Curry Crunch' where mildly spiced king prawns are coated with bread crumbs and fried. The king prawns used in this recipe weigh approximately 50g each.
An easy homemade pad Thai that skips hard-to-find tamarind, leaning on fish sauce, vinegar, and paprika for that sweet-sour-salty tang. Chewy rice noodles tossed with tofu, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts.
Authentic Thai street-style pad thai with chewy rice noodles, shrimp, tamarind, and fish sauce. Quick wok-tossed noodles with cashews and lime in 20 minutes.
Tom yum goong, Thailand's hot and sour shrimp soup, built on a fragrant broth of lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime, with Thai chili paste, fish sauce, and lime. Bright, spicy, and deeply aromatic.
Authentic shrimp pad thai: rice noodles stir-fried fast over high heat with garlic, shrimp, egg, and fish sauce, finished with bean sprouts, peanuts, and a squeeze of lime. Thai street food made at home.
Authentic Pad Thai with shrimp, chicken, and rice ribbon noodles in a dry-coat sauce of yellow bean, fish sauce, and tomato paste. Finished with peanuts, bean sprouts, lime, and cilantro the way a Bangkok street stall would.
Tom Yum Goong brings tangy lime, fragrant lemongrass, and plump shrimp together in a fiery Thai hot and sour soup that's ready in just 30 minutes. The ultimate comfort bowl for spice lovers.
Thai pasta seafood salad tosses chilled shrimp and scallops with rice vermicelli, cucumbers, peppers, and cilantro in a peanut ginger dressing. A bright, refreshing summer dinner with a kick.
Crockpot jambalaya layered with chicken, smoked sausage, and shrimp in a Creole-spiced tomato base. Orzo cooks right in the pot, and the shrimp goes in last so it stays plump.
Cooks in Southeast Asia make use of pastes that combine roasted fresh or dried chillies with a variety of other seasonings. Various commercial chilli pastes are sold, but a good chile paste is also easy to make at home.
This versatile recipe features tender shrimp and a rich mushroom sauce poured over a bed of seasoned spaghetti squash, all topped with a crispy breadcrumb topping. Easy to make and endlessly adaptable, this dish is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or a special occasion.
A very clean and refreshing dish that's packed with flavour. I used half fish sauce and half soy sauce, which actually worked deliciously well. If you love Thai food, you should definitely give this recipe a go. Five stars, no doubt.
A velvety lobster and shrimp bisque, sweet shellfish blended into a creamy, tomato-tinged base with a roux and half-and-half, finished with the gentle anise note of fresh tarragon. An elegant starter.
I seasoned the fish with a bit salt and black pepper, cooked the asparagus in a hot skillet with a bit olive oil and freshly minced garlic, then seasoned with salt and black pepper, baked for 10 minutes, and it came out absolutely delicious and super light!
Crockpot seafood cheese dip loaded with shrimp, crab, and lobster melted into a base of cream cheese, sour cream, and processed cheese. Warm, scoopable, and built for a crowd.
Nothing says lovin like some spicy Louisiana cooking. I absolutely LOVE making this when I have the time. I'm toning down the amount of creole seasoning that I use, because I tend to be a little heavy handed with it. The amount is an approximate - season to your taste. Fell free to substitute cajun seasoning for the creole. It's all about personal preference. Enjoy!!
Make this creamy yet tasty shrimp curry for dinner, serve it with some steamed rice, top with yogurt, and/or some toasted cashew nuts, raisins, cilantros or scallions.
Tom yum goong, the classic Thai hot-and-sour shrimp soup, fragrant with lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime, balanced by fish sauce, chili, and fresh lime. A bright, spicy bowl ready in 15 minutes.
Grilled shrimp skewers marinated in roasted tomatillo, lime, and cilantro purée with jalapeño strips. A smoky, tangy Mexican-inspired dish that's ready for the grill.
The tomato sauce worked deliciously well with the shrimp, olives and feta cheese. Used spaghetti instead of fettuccine, green olives stuffed with pimento instead of black olives. It was a very delightful dish, indeed.
Almost all my sauce is inside florets and around shrimps. I like it because broccoli florets taste delicious with the quite strong garlic flavor of the sauce.
This scrumptious shrimp dish tastes so good, it will make you completely forget about the overcooked breaded bits of what purports to be shrimp at Red Lobster.
Saucy shrimp and pasta tosses peeled shrimp into a quick Italian-stewed-tomato sauce with garlic, herbs, and red pepper flakes, served over thin spaghetti. A 25-minute weeknight dinner.
This easy yet tasty recipe is a great way to maintain the texture of asparagus. Tender but still crispy. The Chinese seasoning including soy sauce, sichuan oil, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar really brings tons of flavour into the dish. Serve it with cooked brown rice to make a wholesome meal.
