How to Peel and Devein Shrimp Like A Pro

At City Fish Market, we are keen on equipping home chefs to cook more of our famously fresh seafood. Therefore, it is only natural for us to share our expert tips on how to peel and devein shrimp like a pro. After all, shrimp tops the list of favorite seafoods in the U.S. Even seafood skeptics consider shrimp to be scrumptious. 

It is safe to consider shrimp a bridge to the introduction of other riches from our seas and rivers to your dinner table. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, the how-to of peeling and deveining shrimp follows.

The Anatomy of Shrimp

The small, highly edible sea critters that like to scurry around on the ocean floor on lots of tiny feathery legs have a soft underside, a very hard outer shell, and a tail. The heads of shrimp are typically removed for you when you buy them at your local fish market. We break down the how-to of the removal of each part of a shrimp’s anatomy below. 

How to Remove the Head of a Shrimp

The benefit of breaking shrimp down yourself is that you can use the head and shells to make shrimp stock. What is shrimp stock useful for? Seafood chefs use shrimp stock when cooking gumbo, etouffee, jambalaya, and other soups and stews.

Removing the head of shrimp is easy! Simply twist and pull off the head. Set them aside in a bowl, to which you will add the shells of shrimp.

The Way to Peel Shrimp #1: With Kitchen Shears

The smaller the size of the kitchen shears you use to peel shrimp, the easier it will be to accomplish. First, snip the shell where it is hardest, which is at the top. Next, crack the shell open and pull it off. This is the quickest and simplest method for peeling shrimp. However, using scissors tends to cut into the shrimp a bit.

The Way to Peel Shrimp #2: By Hand

First, pull off the legs when peeling shrimp by hand. Then you will use your thumbs along the underside, where the outer shell is softer, to crack the shell open. Finally, pull off the segmented pieces of the shell, and the job is done. This method is somewhat messier, but your shrimp are likely to be more intact.

The Way to Peel Shrimp #3: Using a Special Shrimp Cleaning Tool

Go to this website to find a tool that has been specially designed for the purpose of peeling and deveining shrimp with one simple move. It appears to butterfly the shrimp as well. As of this writing, we haven’t tested this tool. If you try it, please use it with care.

How to Devein Shrimp

Its digestive tract is what is referred to as the “vein” of the shrimp. Running along the shrimp’s curvy top side, the dark “string” inside shrimp is typically easy to see because it is just beneath the shell. There is no harm done if you eat the vein, but it can add grittiness to yummy bites of shrimp. Also, it isn’t appetizing to eat when you know that the dark “string” is shrimp waste, to put it politely.

To devein shrimp, first make a shallow snip along the shrimp’s top using a small knife. Then use the knife’s tip to pull out the vein. Handling the vein tends to lose its gross factor after you’ve done it a few times.

City Fish Market Has Recipes for Peeled, Deveined Shrimp

Our City Fish Market website is like a one-stop shop. After you have learned how to peel and devein shrimp like a pro, you can find delicious recipes for practicing your skill. Our many shrimp recipes include appetizers, paellas, casseroles, pasta dishes, shrimp salads, stir-fry dishes, spicy main dishes, and more. We suggest lobster recipes or this Roasted Stuffed Salmon recipe to continue whetting the appetites of seafood naysayers.

Make your way to 884 Silas Deane Hwy in Wethersfield, CT, for delectably fresh seafood today. Call us or fill out our online form if you need seafood delivery.