A person needs to include various seafood in his diet. One of these products is shrimp, which appeared in the post-Soviet space relatively recently, but has already become a favorite among many.
Properly cooked shrimp have not only beneficial properties, but also wonderful taste. They are used in hot dishes, for preparing sea salads and appetizers, but they can also be a separate independent dish that goes well with any alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
How to choose the right shrimp in the store
Shrimp in supermarkets are usually sold frozen, but in different varieties. Most often, this is a ready-made semi-finished product, ready to eat immediately after defrosting, since the shrimp were boiled even before freezing at the preparation factory.
You can choose quality shrimp based on the following simple criteria:
- Shrimp of European origin usually undergo strict quality selection, so preference should be given to them rather than to a product of Asian origin.
- The most useful product Shrimp are considered to be frozen fresh and not cooked. This product is usually dark brown in color and has excellent taste and nutritional qualities.
- Shrimp purchased in bulk, and not in a vacuum bag, are subject to mandatory heat treatment to avoid intestinal upset.
- A well-frozen cooked semi-finished product should have a pale pink color. The tail should be slightly bent - a bent tail occurs only in animals that died before being caught.
- You should avoid purchasing shrimp with dried out shells and yellowish flesh. Black spots on the legs and shell indicate that the product is old.
- We get rid of shrimp with black heads - these are sick individuals. Green heads indicate that the shrimp fed on plankton - we definitely take these, as they are not only healthy, but also very tasty. Shrimps with brown heads should be especially pleasing - these are pregnant specimens, their meat is considered a delicacy.
How to cook shrimp correctly
Shrimp as a stand-alone dish is usually cooked with various spices, seasonings and sauces - such as lemon juice, soy sauce or garlic. But here it is very important not to overdo it - additives should only slightly emphasize the taste of the natural product, and not interrupt it.
Shrimp can be prepared in several ways:
1st method
First way Suitable only for cooked-frozen products and consists of simple defrosting without further heat treatment. To do this, place the product in a colander and pour boiling water over it. The shrimp will thaw quickly, and the water will wash away all the dirt from them. You can simply leave the shrimp at room temperature and wait for them to defrost naturally. After this, the product is ready for use.
But this method has a drawback - since the shrimp are frozen without salt and spices, the finished product will turn out a little bland. Shrimp thawed in this way can be used for further frying in vegetable oil with garlic or used for salad. They can also be baked or grilled with spices.
2nd method
The second method is suitable for absolutely all types of shrimp - frozen semi-finished and chilled.
- The product is thrown into a colander and doused with cold running water - in a few seconds the ice crust will melt and wash off the adhering dirt from the shrimp.
- Put water on the stove (there should be three times more water than shrimp), boil, add salt and spices - the juice of one lemon, salt, bay leaf and peppercorns.
- Place the shrimp in boiling water and cook for 3-10 minutes, depending on the type.
- After 3-10 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat and leave the shrimp to simmer in the broth for another 10 minutes - this will make them more juicy.
- Place the boiled product in a colander again, let it cool and enjoy the aromatic boiled shrimp.
Boiled frozen shrimp take about 3 minutes, fresh frozen shrimp - 7-10 minutes.. Cooking time for large king and tiger prawns increases by 5-10 minutes. If the shrimp float to the surface and their shell becomes slightly transparent, the product is ready. It is important not to overcook the shrimp - overcooked meat becomes tough and tasteless.
Ready shrimp can be seasoned with olive oil and the juice of half a lemon, or served with curry or adjika.
3rd method
Shrimp can be cooked not only on the stove, but also in the microwave- they will turn out boiled in their own juice. The shrimp are placed in a container with a small amount of water, salted, peppered and placed in the oven for one minute.
A steamer is also great for cooking shrimp. Just 4-5 minutes is enough, and the finished dish will turn out very tender. A double boiler allows you to preserve maximum beneficial properties.
If you have a multicooker at home, you can use that too. Frozen shrimp are placed in a slow cooker, salted, sprinkled with lemon juice or lemon slices are placed on top of the meat, and the “baking” mode is turned on for 10-15 minutes. No need to add water.
4th method
Shrimp can be stewed in sauce. This method is equally good for boiled and uncooked semi-finished products.
The cooking process will be as follows:
- Pour a small amount of vegetable or olive oil into the bottom of a tall frying pan or saucepan.
- Add a few cloves of garlic and half an onion to the oil.
- Place half a kilogram of frozen shrimp in the oil and pour in half a glass of water.
- Bring the shrimp to a boil with the lid closed and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Here are some simple tips that may come in handy when preparing shrimp:
- if the shrimp need to be cleaned first, immediately after cooking they should be immersed in cold water for a few seconds - it will be much easier to clean;
- if shrimp need to be peeled before cooking, then this should be done until the shrimp are completely defrosted;
- in large individuals, a large intestinal vein must be removed - it can spoil the taste of the finished dish;
- shells of peeled shrimp are not thrown away - they can be useful for fish soup, shrimp soup or sauce;
- shrimp boiled in the shell are tastier.
Today we will tell you how long to cook king prawns. We will also tell you what properties this product has, how it should be selected and used in cooking.
General information about seafood
Before we tell you how much to cook king prawns at home, we should tell you what such a product is.
Boiled shrimp have exceptional beneficial properties and wonderful taste. Thanks to these characteristics, the mentioned seafood has found wide application in the culinary industry. It is very often added to various sea salads and appetizers, as well as hot first and second courses.
Not all housewives know how long to cook king prawns. However, it should be noted that with proper heat treatment, such a product can become a very tasty independent dish, which is ideally combined with non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine, cocktails, juices, etc.
Seafood selection
Before you find out how many minutes to cook king prawns, you need to decide on the choice of the product mentioned. It can be purchased both fresh and frozen. Most modern stores and other retail outlets offer the latter option.
By the way, very often shrimp are frozen after preliminary boiling. It is this treatment that gives the crustaceans a pleasant pink color. Thus, the consumer purchases a product that is almost ready to eat, which only needs to be defrosted.
Those recipes in which king prawns are the main component often include various herbs, spices and natural additives such as soy sauce, lemon juice and garlic. The main task of these ingredients is to emphasize and complement the exquisite taste of seafood, but without interrupting it.
In order for the taste of the entire dish to be excellent, you should definitely know how long to cook king prawns and how to do it correctly. We will tell you the secrets of preparing such a product right now.
How long to cook frozen king prawns?
Shrimp that have been boiled before freezing are sold peeled (without heads and shells) and unpeeled. This fact significantly affects the method of their heat treatment.
Let's look at a few recipes in more detail.
First way
This option does not require much time. Moreover, it does not involve the use of heat treatment. Frozen pink shrimp are placed in cool water (directly in a closed bag). The seafood is kept in this form for several hours, after which it is cleaned and added to salads and various snacks.
You can also pour boiling water over already boiled shrimp or defrost them in the microwave.
Second way
Very often, frozen seafood is boiled in salt water with or without spices. To do this, they are placed in a boiling liquid and then brought to a boil again. In this case, you can additionally add black peppercorns and bay leaves to the dishes.
How long to cook frozen unpeeled king prawns? Culinary experts say that it may take ten to fifteen minutes to fully cook such seafood.
Third way
Now you know how long to cook frozen king prawns in plain water. However, some housewives prefer to cook such seafood (peeled or unpeeled) in sauce. By following all the requirements of the recipe, you will receive a very tasty and nutritious independent dish that is good to serve along with herbs and vegetables.
Let's find out how and how much to cook king prawns in sauce.
About 18 milliliters of olive oil are poured into a deep saucepan, and then large onion half rings, garlic slices and 550 grams of frozen shrimp are pricked out. Also pour about 120 milliliters of drinking water into the dishes and bring everything to a boil. Covering the saucepan with a lid, simmer the ingredients for about six minutes, after which they are served to the table along with a side dish or as a dish on their own.
A quick and easy way to cook frozen shrimp
Now you know how long to cook king prawns. However, it should be noted that, in addition to the mentioned variety of seafood, there are others.
Regular frozen shrimp are easy and simple to prepare. They don't even need to be defrosted first. Seafood is simply dipped into boiling water and cooked for eight to ten minutes. If you cook shrimp for too long, they can become very tough and therefore tasteless. In this regard, the cooking process must be carefully monitored.
If you purchased already boiled-frozen shrimp, it is recommended to cook them for no longer than three to six minutes. The same applies to seafood that has been previously defrosted.
What is the difference between cooking regular shrimp and king shrimp?
To get a very tender and tasty seafood dish, you should definitely know how long to cook the shrimp (king or regular). As you know, the two presented products differ significantly in size.
The process of boiling king prawns is similar to the method of cooking regular seafood. The only difference is the heat treatment time.
So how long should you cook king prawns? When frozen they should be cooked for about ten minutes, and when fresh - a quarter of an hour. In this case, the time must be noted only after the liquid in the pan has boiled.
As for regular shrimp, the cooking time for fresh seafood is three to six minutes, for frozen seafood it is eight to ten minutes. The short heat treatment is explained by the fact that they are much smaller in size than the royal type.
After cooking, seafood must be cleaned not only of the heads and shell, but also of the black streak that is located along the tail. As a rule, cooks carry out this procedure using a regular knife.
How to present it to the table?
It is recommended to serve both king and regular boiled shrimp at the table along with wedges of lime or lemon. By the way, some housewives simply sprinkle them with any citrus juice.
It should also be noted that the seafood in question goes perfectly with various sauces, including creamy, garlic and tomato. However, it is advisable to serve them to the table in a separate bowl.
Beneficial features
Shrimp, properly cooked, is an extremely healthy product. As you know, they are rich in substances that are extremely necessary for the harmonious development of the whole organism.
Like other crustaceans, shrimp contain a large amount of iodine, micro- and macroelements, which, when consumed by a person every day, help prevent diseases of the endocrine system and maintain overall health.
It should also be said that shrimp (both king and regular) have a significant protein content. This is a building material for cells, thanks to which their natural growth and reproduction occurs.
Quite often, shrimp are included in the diet of athletes. Thanks to this product, a person can very quickly build up natural muscle mass, and in combination with physical exercise, make his body sculpted and toned. However, it should be noted that shrimp contain a lot of cholesterol. In this regard, they are not recommended for use by those whose blood levels are too high.
King prawns have a richer aroma and taste, excellent nutritional properties and, of course, larger sizes compared to regular shrimp. This is an excellent option for combining dietary properties, easily digestible protein, nutritional value, and essential amino acids in one product.
As a rule, frozen king prawns are available for sale in retail chains in our region. Let's figure out what we should do next with them after purchasing, how much and how to properly cook frozen king prawns, and also reveal a few secrets of their preparation.
How to properly cook unpeeled frozen king prawns?
First of all, defrost the shrimp at room temperature or under running cold water. Then pour water into any pan at the rate of four liters per kilogram of shrimp, heat it to a boil and add two tablespoons of salt to this amount. Now immerse the unpeeled frozen king prawns in boiling water, wait until it boils again, and cook for six to seven minutes. Place the shrimp in a colander and rinse with cold water. Such a shock procedure will make it easy to clear them of their shells for further use.
Note that this cooking process is intended for raw shrimp. They are gray in color, both fresh and frozen. If you purchased unpeeled pink shrimp, this means that they were already boiled before freezing and therefore require less cooking time. All you have to do is keep these pre-thawed shrimp in boiling water for one minute, and they are ready.
How to properly cook peeled frozen king prawns?
If the frozen king prawns you purchased are already peeled, they were most likely boiled before freezing and are pink in color. To prepare, first defrost them at room temperature, placing them in a colander placed on any container to collect liquid. You should not immediately immerse them in hot water, as there is a high risk of losing the taste of the finished dish. For the same reason, it is not recommended to use a microwave oven for defrosting.
Pour water into a saucepan in a volume twice the volume of the shrimp that need to be boiled, heat to a boil, add salt at the rate of 30 grams of salt per liter of water and immerse our already defrosted, peeled king prawns there for one to two minutes, depending on the the size of the mollusks. It is more convenient to do this in the same colander in which they were defrosted, so choose a cooking pan of the appropriate size.
When cooking any shrimp, both peeled and in the shell, it is important not to overcook them in boiling water, since after prolonged heat treatment they become hard (rubbery).
If you like the natural taste of shrimp, then you should not add spices to the water when cooking. 
Although, if necessary, and if desired, you can season the water with a bunch of dill, allspice or black peppercorns, bay leaves, as well as a wide variety of spices and herbs. It all depends on your taste preferences and, possibly, on the requirements of the recipe for further use of boiled shrimp.
Well, the king prawns have been purchased, defrosted and properly boiled. All that remains is to decide on the method of their further use. Namely, add shrimp to, or enjoy their wonderful natural taste by preparing some original sauce for them.
- Shrimp are very useful: Shrimp meat contains calcium and protein, while boiled shrimp are considered a low-calorie dish. The calorie content of boiled shrimp meat is about 95 kcal/100 grams. Even after cooking, shrimp are rich in cholesterol, which is completely eliminated naturally.In stores now, as a rule, shrimp are sold boiled and frozen, so it doesn’t make sense to cook them for a long time. Overcooked shrimp lose their juicy taste and become rubbery, so boiled-frozen shrimp need only be cooked for 3 minutes.
Big amount of water there is no need to cook shrimp - firstly, the shrimp themselves are covered with ice and contain a large amount of liquid, and secondly, the less water, the juicier the shrimp will be.
- The broth left over from boiling shrimp is an excellent base for the sauce.
How to choose shrimp
1. The most useful shrimp are medium-sized, cold water shrimp, in stores up to 500 rub./kg. Large tiger and king prawns cost from 500 to 1000 rubles in stores. Prices are as of May 2017.2. The fraction on the price tag and packaging indicates the number of shrimp per kilogram: for example, 70/90 means that there are from 70 to 90 pieces of raw shrimp of this size in a kilogram of raw shrimp of this size. Keep in mind that the package should contain shrimp of approximately the same color and size.
3. Buy peeled shrimp- you can do it not only if you have no time at all. 3 kilograms of unpeeled shrimp will yield about 1 kilogram of peeled shrimp, while the price of peeled shrimp is unlikely to be at least three times higher. :)
4. In appearance, the shrimp should be: a) with a curled, bent tail (this applies to small and medium-sized shrimp), b) with a smooth, spotless shell; c) the head of the shrimp can be pink, brown (by the way, such shrimp most likely contain very nutritious shrimp roe) or greenish.
5. Avoid: white spots on the shell, ice and snow in shrimp (defrost, there is a risk of buying low-quality). Black heads on shrimp indicate disease.
Seasonings for shrimp
Paprika, basil, cumin, allspice, parsley, basil, and oregano go well with shrimp.
Calorie content of boiled shrimp
Calorie content of shrimp is 70 kcal/100 grams. Despite the fact that shrimp themselves are considered a low-calorie dish, they are usually salted generously and sauces and spices are added, which greatly increases the calorie content of a shrimp dish.
Price of boiled frozen shrimp
On average, boiled-frozen shrimp usually cost up to 175 rubles per kilogram, depending on the size. The larger the size and the higher the freshness of the shrimp, the higher their cost. The price of tiger shrimp reaches 1000-1300 rubles.
How much salt do you need for cooking?
As a rule, put 1 tablespoon of salt per half kilo of shrimp.
Boiled shrimp salad
Shrimp salad productsBoiled-frozen shrimp - 500 grams
Cucumbers - 3 fresh or lightly salted
Tomatoes - 3-4 medium
Green onions - several sprigs
Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Preparation of shrimp salad
1. Boil the shrimp, then peel.
2. Wash and dry vegetables and herbs.
3. Cut the tomatoes into circles, finely chop the cucumbers, chop the onion.
4. Mix everything, add a little vinegar and oil, mix with spices and sugar.
5. Place shrimp in the middle of the dish, surrounded by vegetable salad.
Lately, shrimp have become extremely popular. They can increasingly be found on the menus of expensive restaurants and ordinary beer establishments. People not only realized the benefits of these humble mollusks, but also appreciated their delicate, unique taste. Typically, shrimp are sold raw or boiled in retail chains. As a rule, they are consumed as food. They are used for preparing salads or as a simple meal. Boiled shrimp pulp should simply melt in the mouth, so the heat treatment process is considered the most important point.
Cooking shrimp is not very difficult. It takes a little time. But the clams need to be defrosted first. And this must be done correctly so as not to spoil the taste of the final product. The main rule of defrosting is that you should never rush. Do not put frozen shrimp in the microwave or in a container of hot water. This can only lead to loss of flavor and all nutritional properties. There's no need to rush. Natural defrosting will take a little longer, but you will be completely sure that your product will retain everything you bought it for.
Once the clams have thawed, you can start cooking them. But boiling shrimp does not mean throwing them in, as is customary to do with other products. The cooking technology here is completely different. The procedure takes place in 4 stages:
- Boil the required amount of water.
- Add salt and spices that you deem necessary. Typically, black peppercorns and bay leaves are used as such.
- The shrimp are dipped into the prepared solution for 3 or 4 minutes. Then turn off the heat and leave them in hot water for another 15 minutes so that they can soak in the spices.
- The finished shrimp are removed from the water with a slotted spoon and used for their intended purpose.
The principle is quite simple, but here it is also necessary to take into account the size of the mollusks. Small ones cook faster. Larger shrimp need to be cooked a little longer, about 5-6 minutes. Otherwise the procedure remains the same. After boiling, the cooled product can be used as the main component for salads or simply eaten with beer, savoring the aromatic drink with tender and juicy meat.
Sometimes shrimp are sold live. Here you need to make sure that all the mollusks are really alive. They must move freely and not arouse suspicion among the buyer. In this case, there is no need to defrost them. Cooking is carried out as usual.
Frozen clams (depending on the species) may have a black, brown or gray shell. Under no circumstances should they be covered with a layer of snow. This confirms the fact that the product was stored incorrectly or was defrosted repeatedly for no reason. It is better not to buy such a product. The aroma of the product will be partially lost. And you are unlikely to get tender meat from such semi-finished products.
Sometimes packages contain red, pink or orange specimens. This means that they are ready to eat. There is no need to cook shrimp of this color. You just have to defrost them, and then you can safely eat them. But you will not feel tenderness and aroma in them. Therefore, even if you come across boiled shrimp, it is better to process them. Make a solution of salt and spices in boiling water and pour it over the defrosted product for 10 minutes. The spices will do their job, and the shrimp will seem much tastier to you.
There is another important factor in nature that must be taken into account. Depending on their habitat, shrimp are:
- Tiger or royal, which live in warm bodies of water.
- Atlantic, which live in the cold waters of the ocean.
Here it is important to clearly distinguish how much to cook and how much to cook from individuals living in the sea. Warm-water mollusks are larger and require longer heat treatment. They need to be cooked for 4 minutes. While smaller marine specimens need to be kept in boiling water for no more than 2 minutes. Readiness can be easily determined by the change in color of the pulp. In addition, the shell of the mollusk becomes more transparent.
Nowadays, large tiger shrimps are often found in retail outlets. They can be quickly prepared and added to the table as a tender and flavorful dish. To prevent the product from turning out like rubber, you need to clearly understand the rule on how to cook tiger shrimp. There is nothing complicated here:
- To begin with, we select a fresh frozen product of good quality in the store.
- Then we wash the frozen shellfish so that foreign debris does not accidentally get into the dish.
- Now boil water in a separate container and add salt to it. The amount of salt depends on the degree of purification of the product. If shrimp are cooked without shell, then a 20% saline solution is made. If tiger prawns are cooked in the shell, then the concentration of the solution should be twice as high. This is almost 2 full tablespoons per 1 liter of boiling water.
- Add the necessary seasonings and spices to taste. This could be bay leaf, dill, peppercorns, parsley, garlic. Everything you want according to your taste.
- Place the shrimp in the boiling solution and wait until they float to the surface.
- From this moment, measure from 5 to 7 minutes (depending on the size of the product) and turn off the heat.
- We rinse the shrimp under cold water and then remove the shell and entrails.
Now the product is completely ready for use. It can be eaten whole or used to make delicious salads. You are guaranteed a lot of pleasant sensations and benefits for the body.
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