Schrimps cooking time

cooking time for shrimps

With their delicious, juicy pink flesh, shrimps are crustaceans that will surely make our plates look good. Goody provides you with all the tips you need to cook yummy shrimp dishes and shrimp recipes in the best possible way. All the different cooking methods and cooking times for shrimps are explained step by step on Goody.

Boiled, pan-fried or grilled shrimps, we surely enjoy this unique seafood gem available in salted waters or from fresh water sources.

Why should we eat shrimps ?

Shrimps have some very interesting nutritional benefits. They are antioxidant and are also useful to fill up on minerals and proteins.

Discover the full nutritional benefits of eating shrimp below:

  • A high protein content: For 100 g of shrimps, you get 20 g of protein including 9 essential amino acids for our body. These proteins play a major role in building muscle fibers and strengthening bones. An undeniable asset for athletes.
  • Low calorie content: 86kcal per 100g which means very few carbohydrates
  • Low fat content: Low in fat. This means that shrimp is an ally for weight loss.
  • An great source of antioxidants: Selenium (excellent anti free radicals), astaxanthin (red orange pigment), coenzyme Q10 (a component similar to vitamin K), all elements known for their antioxidant properties. They contribute to the youthfulness of our cells and act on our brain health. They are beneficial in the fight against cancer.
  • A good source of omega 3: A rich source of omega 3 which contributes to preserve cardiovascular health.
  • Vitamin B12, B3, E: Vitamin B12 to make new cells and maintain nerve cells, vitamin B3 for energy production and DNA formation, vitamin E as a great antioxidant that protects our immune system cells.

Which shrimps to choose from ?

Shrimps can be bought all year round.  To fight against overfishing and preserve our planet, always opt for shrimps with a label, whether they are wild or farmed, sold whole or peeled, raw, deveined, cooked or frozen. Did you know that there are over 200 varieties of shrimp in the ocean!

Here are the 2 types of shrimp that you can find in most stores and supermarkets:

  • Grey shrimps: they are common, small, grey and translucent alive (they become brown once cooked). In France, they are mainly found on the Atlantic coast.
  • Pink shrimps: pink shrimps are the most common type. In fact it is the standard kind of shrimp when it comes to cooking. There are a large variey depending on where they are located on the planet. We recommend the “Bouquet” shrimp, from the North Atlantic, a French variety found in Brittany and Normandy. Tropical shrimp or gambas, from tropical waters are jumbo shrimp. They are often sold frozen in our stores. We particularly recommend the organic shrimp from Madagascar, the only shrimp in France with the red label, which has a firm, juicy and tasty flesh.

Whatever its species or origin, fresh shrimp should have a good marine and iodine perfume, a supple and shiny shell, a firm flesh, and an aspect that is neither slimy nor oxidized. At the fishmonger’s, the living shrimps being sold must be wriggling and stirring on their ice bed.

By the way, why do shrimp turn pink when cooked?

Shrimp turn pink during cooking. Its beautiful orange-pink color comes from a natural pigment in its shell: astaxanthin.

Without going into the scientific details, when the shrimp is alive, the astaxanthin pigment is somehow trapped in protein chains and cannot be seen, which is why the living shrimp has a rather translucent grey-black color. So, when the shrimp is cooked, the proteins that envelop the pigment are denatured, which allows the astaxanthin to regain its normal appearance: the shrimp then takes on the beautiful orange-pink color that we all know.

How to cook shrimps?

Follow our short guide dedicated to shrimp and its different cooking times below : .

Cooking time for water poached shrimp

  • Cooking time: about 5 minutes
  • Method: Place washed and peeled shrimp in a large pot of boiling water. Stir, cover, then turn off the heat. Let the shrimp sit in the water for 5 minutes for large shrimp (3 to 4 minutes for smaller shrimp). Check for the color (pinkish-orange) and shape of the shrimp (it should form a C). If it is still translucent, leave for 1 to 2 minutes more.
  • How to eat water poached shrimp? Boiled shrimp should be considered as an ingredient to be added to a preparation: in a lamb’s lettuce salad, in a pasta salad, in a soup or in a paella. They can also be eaten cold with a sauce or a homemade mayo.

Cooking time for pan-fried shrimp

  • Cooking time: 2 to 3 minutes for small / 5 minutes for large
  • Method: Place peeled shrimp in a hot, well-oiled skillet (olive oil). Pan fry (saute) the shrimp until they curl up and turn a nice pinkish orange color. If you want to cook variations on the pan, you can fry onion and garlic in hot oil, put your shrimps, let it fry for a few moments then add cream or coconut milk and let it simmer over low heat. Then season with the condiments of your choice: lime zest, grated ginger, fresh herbs, coriander, chili pepper, ground pepper, salt.
  • How to eat the pan-fried shrimp? A shrimp cocktail as appetizer, with white rice, Cantonese rice, with a dish of fresh tagliatelle for example and also with a good glass of dry white wine!

Cooking time for grilled shrimp

  • Cooking time: 2 to 3 minutes on each side
  • Method: Prepare a marinade with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley (garlic, onion if necessary) in which you will put your large shrimps or unpeeled prawns. Let marinate for at least 2 hours. Preheat the grill of your oven, your barbecue or your plancha grill beforehand. Then grill in a dish or directly on the grill for 3 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other. A delicious smoky smell emerges from your grilled prawns, your shrimps are ready to be eaten.
  • How to enjoy grilled shrimp « a la plancha » or on the barbecue? As a main course with wok-fried noodles, a rice dish, a pan-fried vegetable dish, spinach, it is a pure bliss!

 

Cooking time for fried shrimp

  • Cooking time: 10 minutes
  • Method: Prepare a marinade with peeled shrimp, lime juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, salt, pepper and chili. Leave overnight in the fridge in a container covered with plastic wrap. The next day, beat 2 eggs, add chopped herbs, pepper and salt. Dip your shrimps in this mixture. In the meantime, heat some frying oil in a large wok. Then fry the shrimp in 2 (two 5-minute frying baths). Place your fried shrimp on paper towels.
  • How to eat the fried shrimp? Enjoy this fried shrimp with mayonnaise, aioli, soy sauce or sriracha.
Categories:

No comments yet, be the first to leave one!

Leave a Reply

Note: Comments on the web site reflect the views of their respective authors, and not necessarily the views of this web portal. Members are requested to refrain from insults, swearing and vulgar expression. We reserve the right to delete any comment without notice or explanations.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are signed with *

*
*