Seafood is famous for its healthy properties and exquisite taste. Shrimps fully comply with this opinion: they contain many minerals, vitamins, high-quality protein, iodine, and Omega-3 acids, which are extremely necessary for the body. Another plus is the low calorie content.
To experience all these benefits of seafood in full, you need to know how to choose and how to cook shrimp. So, a few useful rules.
How to choose seafood
Before cooking shrimp, unpeeled or already without shell, you need to be able to choose them correctly. In total there are about two thousand species that can be divided into two categories. These are shrimps from the northern seas and those that are caught in warm waters. The former are smaller, but healthier and more nutritious, and the latter are larger and tastier. When choosing them in a store, pay attention to the fact that in one batch, seafood should be the same in size, even and uniform in color, with folded tails. The old product has a yellowish tint with black and dark dots, dry paws and a shell. Open tails indicate that the crustacean was frozen already dead. Even if you know exactly how to cook shrimp, you will not get a tasty dish if you buy low-quality seafood.
Make sure that they do not have lumps of snow and opaque ice, and on the surface of the shell of white spots - this is a sign of frozen shrimp. Pay attention to the color of the heads. Black signals sick individuals, but greens and browns need not be feared. It is best to choose crustaceans of gray-brown color, which means that they were frozen still fresh.
How to cook shrimp
If you have fresh seafood, it will take no more than ten minutes to cook them. Small individuals will be ready in three. Carefully monitor the degree of readiness, overcooked meat becomes tough and unappetizing. How to cook peeled shrimp? Defrost them gradually, first leaving them in the refrigerator, and then at room temperature. You do not need to defrost in hot water or a microwave, as you deprive them of all the beneficial properties.
So, the product is ready to cook.
How to cook shrimp? Dip them in boiling water with a little salt, cook for about ten minutes, then leave in the water for a quarter of an hour. It will turn out juicier and more aromatic. Having learned how to cook shrimp properly, you can also experiment with tastes. For example, try adding parsley, bay leaf, dill or caraway seeds to the water. You can also add black peas or sugar. As soon as the shrimp is cooked, they will turn orange and float up. Serving them is recommended with lemon juice and the resulting appetizing broth. If you wish, you can cook seafood with the help of a double boiler. It will take only five minutes, while the meat will retain its excellent taste and all vitamins and nutrients.