let's talk shrimp

[hornimal]

I love to eat shrimp. but when it comes to knowledge about this little critter I'm far from being a benjamin buford blue.

I do have one immediate question: last year's easter weekend I went to a boil and the shrimp were very slimy. nobody got sick and they tasted fine, but they were a ***** to peel. I mentioned this to a friend and he said that happens when shrimp aren't in season. is there any truth to that or what causes this?

 

[DRAG69]

Never heard of that.
Sounds like they might have been undercooked which is hard to do actually. If undercooked they would be slimy.
If overcooked they will be rubbery.

They only need to boil about 5 minutes to be done.
And if you take them out and do not put them on ice right away they will continue to cook.

I love them boiled with good seasoning and my own red sauce with lots of horseradish.

But I like them grilled with lemon/garlic/butter the best.

Did some Sunday with some NY strips.

 

[pulque]

I boil them 3 minutes...

 

[jmrob93]

sounds overcooked--and something else in the pot gave them the slime--or maybe been frozen too long

Boil till pink-- them fish them out

same for grilling-- 2 minutes on each side--maybe

 

[Les Claypool]

If there slimy maybe there was somethiing in the boil.

 

[TexasHooch]

For shrimp, "season" refers only to the time period in which they are harvested based on their migratory patterns. I don't think there is any physiological diference in shrimp from one time period to another. Sounds like there was an additive to the water (oil maybe), that made them slick.

 

[Mrmyke709]

You want a quick and easy shrimp appetizer?
This is a Rick Bayless recipe.
Peel 2 lbs of 15-20 count shrimp, but leave the tails on.
Take 1 large can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and drain the sauce in a sautee pan. Stir fry the shrimp in the adobo sauce for 3-4 minutes until done.
Serve hot off the stove. The tails make it easy to grab and dip them in the excess sauce.
Beware..these lil' f'ers are HOT.

 

[jmrob93]

or my Aunt's heart stopper recipee-- 1 stick of real butter, 1 lemons juice, 2 tsp Tony's-- 1 lb unpeeled shrimp--and a skillet-- turn often-- pull out when pink

good stuff

 

[VoodooChi|d]

I love shrimp too.

Probably my favorite food.

Fried, stuffed, sauteed, boiled... it doesn't matter... just give them to me

 

[Pimp C Freed]

Drag -
If you like cilantro you should add that in with your lemon butter mixture for the shrimp on the grill. Gives it a nice taste and goes great if you are making shrimp fajitas....

 

[Ag with kids]

I've made this before...DELICIOUS...
And your arteries will begin to clog just reading the recipe...

From: The Link

* 2 pounds butter (Yes, you read right. Two pounds. Eight sticks. Don't whine. DO NOT use margarine! Real butter only.)
* 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning, to taste; OR
o 2 - 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper and 3 - 4 teaspoons black pepper, to taste
* 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves
* 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
* 6 ounces good beer (microbrewery is preferable to mainstream swill)
* 5 - 10 cloves garlic, finely minced (or as much as you like)
* 1 medium onion, very finely minced
* 3 ribs celery, very finely minced
* 3 - 4 tablespoons chopped parsley
* 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
* 5 pounds shrimp, heads and shells on

[This feeds 8-10 people, BTW ... cut it in half if you need to.]

Melt a stick of the butter in a skillet. Saute the garlic, onions, celery, parsley, rosemary and seasoning blend for about 2 - 3 minutes.

Melt the rest of the butter. Add the beer (drink the rest of the bottle). Add the sauteed stuff, Worcestershire and lemon juice.

Drown the shrimp in the seasoned butter, using as many baking dishes as you need. Make sure the shrimp are more or less submerged. If they're not ... melt more butter and add to the sauce. (Aah, what the hell ... what's another stick or two when you're already up to these butterfat levels?) Bake in a 350 degree oven until the shrimp turn pink, about 15 minutes.

Serve in big bowls. Put in a handful of shrimp and ladle lots of the spicy butter sauce over it. Roll up your sleeves and wear a bib (DO NOT wear nice clothes when eating this!) Serve with plenty of French bread to sop up da sauce!

 

[CHIEFLAZYBOY]

Generally a few tablespoons of olive oil actually makes the shrimp easier to peel. For boiled shrimp, I always double the amount of crab/shrimp boil that it says to use, get the water to a rolling boil and drop the shrimp in. I leave the mediums in for 4 minutes, and the jumbos in for 5. I pull them out when the time is up, regardless if they started boiling again or not. They come out perfect every time, I have never had a bad batch.

Chief

 

[DRAG69]

Doubling the bags of crab boil is a great idea.
I also dump in a bunch of cayenne into the water.

Also do not boil more than a pound or two at a time.
That way the water will not cool off so much when you put the next batch in.