How To Peel And Devein Shrimp Like A Pro
To fully embrace fresh seafood as a cook means to learn various skills. Knowing how to peel and devein shrimp like a pro is a great place to begin. Shrimp is among the choicest delicacies from the sea. Countless shrimp recipes that delight the tastebuds are at your command when you know how to prepare this unique shellfish. A lean protein, shrimp is incredibly versatile.
A supply of the freshest shrimp can always be found at City Fish Market. All sizes of domestic, South American, and Asian shrimp are available. Until you are adept at peeling and deveining shrimp, you can get fresh deveined shrimp at City Fish Market, as well.
Step 1 – Mise en Place
The first step is to gather and set up everything required to devein shrimp. The French term “mise en place” actually means also gathering the recipe ingredients when cooking on a grand scale. But we’ll borrow it for our purposes. Here’s what you need as you set about peeling and deveining shrimp like a pro:
- Cutting board
- Paring knife
- Pair of kitchen sheers
- Sheet pan filled with ice to keep shrimp chilled while you work
- For the coming step, you will need to prepare a large bowl of iced water
Step 2 – Position the Shrimp for Prep
Remove the refrigerated shrimp. Evenly distribute on the tray of ice.
[If you are using frozen shrimp, place them in a bowl of cold water. Cover the bowl and let the shrimp thaw, which takes about 30 minutes]
Step 3 – Devein the Shrimp
Shrimp recipes call for shrimp with shells on or off. The way you devein the shrimp depends on which type of recipe you are preparing. Note: Save shrimp shells and freeze them to make a delectably flavored shrimp stock later.
Deveining shrimp for a shelled recipe. When your recipe calls for shelled shrimp, use the kitchen shears to allow access to the vein. This is accomplished by cutting along the outer edge of the shrimp’s back. Next, carefully use the tip of the paring knife to slide the vein out and discard it. For very large veins, you can do this with your finger.
Deveining shrimp for an unshelled recipe. When your shrimp needs to be unshelled, start by twisting off the head, legs, and tail, if still attached. Next, you will carefully use the paring knife to make a slit along the back of the shrimp. Using the tip of the paring knife or your fingers, remove and discard the vein.
Step 4 – Rinse in Cold Water
The deveined shrimp should be rinsed under cold water. This is important because it removes any remaining grit. After rinsing, transfer the shrimp to a fresh bowl of iced water. Refrigerate the shrimp until you are ready to add them to various wonderful shrimp recipes.
Visit City Fish Market for the Freshest of Fresh Shrimp
At City Fish Market, we provide fresh seafood for some of the greatest restaurant chefs in the area as well as for home cooks. Now that you know how to peel and devein shrimp like a pro, we hope you’ll stop by and get some. Remember, deveined shrimp is an option. We also offer every type of seafood you may want for a great seafood recipe you’ve found. From live Maine lobsters to wild-caught fish and everything in between, you can rely on City Fish Market for fresh seafood.
Visit us at 884 Silas Deane Hwy in Wethersfield CT today! If you need delivery, you can give us a call at 860-522-3129 or fill out our online form.