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 managed to catch the fancy of many.
Properly cooked shrimp have not only useful properties, but also wonderful taste. They are used in hot dishes, for preparing sea salads and snacks, but they can also be a separate independent meal 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 for use immediately after defrosting, since the shrimps were boiled before freezing at the harvesting factory.
You can choose high-quality shrimp by the following simple signs:
- Shrimps of European origin usually go through a rigorous quality control process and should therefore be preferred over Asian origin.
- The most useful product shrimp are considered fresh frozen, not boiled. Such a product is usually dark brown in color and has excellent taste and nutritional qualities.
- Shrimps bought by weight, and not in a vacuum bag, are subject to mandatory heat treatment in order to avoid intestinal upset.
- Qualitatively frozen boiled semi-finished product should have a pale pink color. The tail should be slightly bent - an unbent tail occurs only in animals that died before catching.
- You should refuse to buy shrimp with a dried shell and yellowish meat. 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 especially please - these are pregnant individuals, their meat is considered a delicacy.
How to cook shrimp
Shrimps as an independent dish are 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 a natural product, and not interrupt it.
Shrimp can be cooked in several ways:
1st way
First way only suitable for boiled-frozen product and consists in simple defrosting without further heat treatment. To do this, the product is placed in a colander and poured over with boiling water. Shrimps will thaw quickly, the water will wash away all the dirt from them. You can simply leave the shrimp at room temperature and wait for them to thaw naturally. After that, 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. Shrimps defrosted 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 way
The second method is suitable for absolutely all types of shrimp - frozen semi-finished products and chilled.
- The product is leaned back in a colander and poured over with cold running water - in a few seconds the ice crust will melt and wash away the adhering dirt from the shrimps.
- We 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.
- We lower the shrimp into 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 shrimps to reach in the broth for another 10 minutes - this way they will turn out more juicy.
- Again we throw the boiled product into a colander, let it cool and enjoy the fragrant boiled shrimp.
Boiled frozen shrimp are cooked for about 3 minutes, fresh-frozen - 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 way
Shrimps can be cooked not only on the stove, but also in the microwave- they will turn out boiled in their own juice. Shrimps are placed in a container with a small amount of water, salted, peppered and put in the oven for one minute.
The steamer is also great for cooking shrimp. Just 4-5 minutes is enough, and the finished dish will turn out to be very tender. The steamer allows you to save a maximum of useful properties.
If the house has a multicooker, you can use it. 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. You don't need to add water.
4th way
Shrimps 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.
- Put half a kilogram of frozen shrimp into the oil and pour half a glass of water.
- Bring the shrimp to a boil under a closed lid and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Here are some simple tips that may come in handy when cooking shrimp:
- if the shrimp need to be pre-cleaned, then immediately after cooking they should be dipped in cold water for a few seconds - it will be much easier to clean;
- if the shrimps need to be cleaned before cooking, then this should be done until the shrimps are completely defrosted;
- in large individuals, a large intestinal vein is necessarily 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 cooked in shell - tastier.
Today we will tell you about how much to cook king prawns. We will also tell you what properties this product has, how it should be chosen and used in cooking.
General information about seafood
Before telling you about how much to cook king prawns at home, you should tell 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 culinary business. It is very often added to various sea salads and snacks, as well as hot first and second courses.
Not all housewives know how much time 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 such non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks as beer, wine, cocktails, juices, etc.
Seafood selection
Before you figure out how many minutes to cook king prawns, you need to decide on the choice of the mentioned product. It can be purchased both fresh and frozen. Most modern stores and other outlets offer exactly the latter option.
By the way, very often shrimp are frozen after preliminary boiling. It is this treatment that gives crustaceans a pleasant pink color. Thus, the consumer acquires a product that is almost ready for use, which should only be thawed.
Those recipes in which king prawns are the main ingredient very often include various spices, 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 whole dish to be excellent, you should definitely know how much 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?
Shrimps that have been boiled to freezing are sold in a peeled (without head and shell) and unpeeled form. This fact significantly affects the method of their heat treatment.
Consider a few recipes in more detail.
First way
This option does not take much time. Moreover, it does not involve the use of heat treatment. Frozen pink shrimps are laid out in cool water (right in a closed bag). In this form, seafood is kept for several hours, after which it is cleaned and added to salads and various snacks.
Also, already boiled shrimp can be poured over with boiling water or thawed 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. At the same time, you can additionally add black peppercorns and parsley 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 a seafood.
Third way
Now you know how much to cook frozen king prawns in ordinary water. However, some housewives prefer to cook such seafood (peeled or unpeeled) in sauce. By following all the requirements of the recipe, you will get a very tasty and nutritious independent dish that is good to serve at the table 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 stewpan, and then large onion half rings, garlic cloves and 550 grams of frozen shrimp are poked out. Also, about 120 milliliters of drinking water is poured into the dishes and everything is brought to a boil. Having closed the stewpan with a lid, the ingredients are stewed for about six minutes, after which they are served at the table along with a side dish or as a dish on their own.
Easy and quick way to cook frozen shrimp
Now you know how much you need to cook king prawns. However, it should be noted that, in addition to the mentioned variety of seafood, there are others.
Plain frozen shrimp are easy to prepare. They don't even need to be thawed first. Seafood is simply dipped in boiling water and boiled for eight to ten minutes. If cooked for too long, shrimp can become very tough and therefore tasteless. In this regard, the process of their cooking must be carefully monitored.
In the event that you have purchased already boiled-frozen shrimp, it is recommended to cook them for no longer than three to six minutes. The same applies to seafood, previously thawed.
What is the difference between cooking ordinary shrimp and cooking king shrimp?
To get a very tender and tasty seafood dish, you should definitely know how much you need to cook shrimp (royal or regular). As you know, the two presented products differ significantly from each other in their size.
The process of cooking king prawns is similar to the way you cook regular seafood. The only difference is the heat treatment time.
So how long to cook king prawns? Frozen, they should be cooked for about ten minutes, and fresh - a quarter of an hour. In this case, the time must be measured only after the liquid boils in the pan.
As for ordinary shrimp, the cooking time for fresh seafood is three to six minutes, frozen - eight to ten minutes. The short heat treatment is explained by the fact that they are much smaller than the royal look.
After cooking, seafood must be cleaned not only from the heads and shell, but also from the black vein that is along the tail. As a rule, cooks carry out this procedure with a regular knife.
How to present to the table?
It is recommended to serve both royal and ordinary boiled prawns to the table along with lime or lemon slices. By the way, some housewives simply sprinkle them with any citrus juice.
It should also be noted that the seafood in question is ideally combined with various sauces, including creamy, garlic and tomato. However, it is desirable to serve them to the table in a separate bowl.
Beneficial features
Shrimps, properly cooked, are an extremely healthy product. As you know, they are rich in substances that are essential for the harmonious development of the whole organism.
Like other crustaceans, shrimp contain a large amount of iodine, micro and macro elements, which, when consumed by a person every day, help prevent diseases of the endocrine system and maintain overall health.
It is impossible not to say that shrimp (both king and ordinary) are distinguished by a significant protein content. It is a building material for cells, thanks to which their natural growth and reproduction takes place.
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 exercises, 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 those who have high blood levels.
King prawns have a richer aroma and taste, excellent nutritional properties and, of course, are larger than regular prawns. This is an excellent option for combining dietary properties, easily digestible protein, nutritional value, as well as 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 to do with them next after the purchase, how much and how to cook frozen king prawns correctly, and also reveal a few secrets of their preparation.
How to cook unpeeled frozen king prawns?
First of all, thaw the shrimp at room temperature or under running cold water. Then we pour water into any pan at the rate of four liters per kilogram of shrimp, heat it to a boil and throw two tablespoons of salt into this amount. Now immerse the unpeeled frozen king prawns in boiling water, wait until they boil again, and cook for six to seven minutes. Drain the shrimp in a colander and rinse with cold water. Such a shock procedure will make it easy to clean them from the shell for further use.
Note that this cooking process is for raw shrimp. They are both fresh and frozen, have a gray color. If you purchased unpeeled pink shrimp, this means that they were already boiled before freezing, and therefore require less cooking time. It is enough to hold such pre-thawed shrimp in boiling water for one minute, and they are ready.
How to cook peeled frozen king prawns?
If the frozen king prawns you bought are already peeled, then most likely they were boiled before freezing and are pink in color. To prepare, first defrost them at room temperature, putting them in a colander installed 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 the pan in a volume twice the volume of the shrimp that needs 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 thawed, peeled king prawns there for one to two minutes, depending on shellfish size. It is more convenient to do this in the same colander in which they were thawed, so choose a pan for cooking of the appropriate size.
When cooking any shrimp, both peeled and in shell, it is important not to overcook them in boiling water, because after a long heat treatment they become hard (rubber).
If you like the natural taste of shrimp, then you should not add spices to the water during 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 the further use of boiled shrimp.
Well, the king prawns are bought, thawed and properly boiled. It remains the case for small things - to decide on the method of their further application. Namely, add shrimp to, or enjoy their wonderful natural taste by preparing some original sauce for them.
- Shrimps are very useful: shrimp meat contains calcium and protein, while boiled shrimp is considered a low-calorie dish. The calorie content of boiled shrimp meat is about 95 kcal / 100 grams. Shrimps, even after cooking, are rich in cholesterol, which is completely excreted naturally.In stores now, as a rule, shrimp are sold boiled-frozen, so it doesn't make sense to cook them for a long time. Overcooked shrimp lose their juicy taste and become rubbery, so it is enough to cook frozen shrimp for 3 minutes.
big amount of water when cooking shrimp, it is not necessary - 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 turn out.
- The broth that is left over from cooking the shrimp is an excellent base for the sauce.
How to choose shrimp
1. The healthiest shrimp are medium-sized, cold water shrimp, in stores up to 500 rubles / kg. Large tiger and king prawns cost from 500 to 1000 rubles in stores. Prices are for May 2017.2. The fraction on the price tag and packaging means the number of shrimp per kilogram: for example, 70/90 - means that in a kilogram of raw shrimp of this size from 70 to 90 pieces. Keep in mind that the package should contain shrimp of approximately the same color and size.
3. Buy peeled shrimp- it is possible not only if there is no time at all. From 3 kilograms of unpeeled shrimp, about 1 kilogram of peeled shrimp will turn out, while the price of peeled shrimp is hardly at least three times higher. :)
4. In appearance, shrimp should be: a) with a twisted, bent tail (this applies to small and medium-sized shrimp), b) with a smooth, without spots, shell; c) the head of a shrimp can be pink, brown (by the way, such shrimp are most likely with very nutritious shrimp caviar) or greenish.
5. Avoid: white spots on the shell, ice and snow in shrimp (thawed, there is a risk of buying poor quality). Black heads on shrimp indicate disease.
Seasonings for shrimp
Paprika, basil, cumin, allspice, parsley, basil, oregano are great for shrimp.
Calorie boiled shrimp
Calorie content of shrimp - 70 kcal / 100 grams. Despite the fact that shrimp itself is considered a low-calorie dish, they are usually salted abundantly and sauces and spices are added, which greatly increases the calorie content of the shrimp dish.
Price of boiled-frozen shrimp
On average, boiled-frozen shrimp cost, as a rule, up to 175 rubles per kilogram, depending on the size. The larger the size and the higher the freshness of the shrimp, the greater their value. The price of tiger prawns reaches 1000-1300 rubles.
How much salt do you need for cooking
For a pound of shrimp, as a rule, put 1 tablespoon of salt.
Salad of boiled shrimp
Shrimp salad productsShrimp boiled-frozen - 500 grams
Cucumbers - 3 fresh or lightly salted
Tomatoes - 3-4 medium
Green onions - a few sprigs
Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Preparing shrimp salad
1. Boil 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, vegetable salad around.
Recently, shrimp have become extremely popular. They are increasingly found on the menu of expensive restaurants and ordinary pubs. People not only realized the benefits of these modest mollusks, but also appreciated their delicate, unique taste. Shrimps are usually sold raw or boiled in the distribution network. As a rule, they are used for food. They are used for making salads or as a simple one. Boiled shrimp pulp should just melt in your mouth, so the heat treatment process is considered the most important moment.
Cooking shrimp is not very difficult. It takes a little time. But first, the clams must be thawed. 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 the loss of flavor and all nutritional properties. No need to rush. Natural defrosting will take a little longer, but you will be completely sure that your product will retain everything that you bought it for.
Once the clams are defrosted, 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 as you see fit. Usually, black peppercorns and bay leaves are used as such.
- Shrimps are dipped in the prepared solution for 3 or 4 minutes. Then turn off the fire and leave them in hot water for another 15 minutes so that they can soak in spices.
- Ready 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. The little ones cook faster. Larger shrimp need to cook a little longer, about 5-6 minutes. The rest of the procedure remains the same. After boiling, the cooled product can be used as the main component for salads or simply eaten with beer, eating a fragrant 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 should move freely and not arouse suspicion in the buyer. In this case, there is no need to defrost them. Cooking is carried out in the usual manner.
Frozen clams (depending on the species) may have a black, brown or gray shell. In no case should they be covered with a layer of snow. This confirms the fact that the product was stored incorrectly or was repeatedly defrosted for no reason. It is better not to take 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 in packages there are copies of red, pink or orange. This indicates that they are already ready for use. It is not necessary to cook shrimp of this color. You just need to defrost them, and then you can safely eat. But in them you will not feel tenderness and aroma. 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 the thawed product over it for 10 minutes. The spices will do their job, and the shrimp will seem much tastier to you.
In nature, there is another important factor that must be taken into account. Depending on the habitat, shrimp are:
- Tiger or royal, which live in warm waters.
- Atlantic, which live in the cold waters of the ocean.
It is important here to clearly distinguish how much to cook and how many individuals living in the open sea. Warm-water mollusks are large and need a longer heat treatment. They need to be cooked for 4 minutes. While smaller marine specimens are enough to hold in boiling water for no more than 2 minutes. Readiness is easy to determine by the change in color of the pulp. In addition, the shell of the mollusk becomes more transparent.
Now large tiger prawns are often found in retail outlets. They can be quickly cooked and add to the table a delicate and fragrant dish. To prevent the product from looking like rubber, you need to clearly understand the rule on how to cook tiger prawns. There is nothing complicated here:
- To begin with, we choose a fresh frozen product of good quality in the store.
- Then we wash the frozen clams 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 a shell, then a 20% saline solution is made. If tiger prawns are cooked in 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. It can be bay leaf, dill, peppercorns, parsley, garlic. Everything you want according to your taste.
- We lower the shrimp into the boiling solution and wait until they float to the surface.
- From this moment we measure from 5 to 7 minutes (depending on the size of the product) and turn off the fire.
- We wash the shrimp under cold water, and then we clean it from 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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