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Shrimp B & B—The Luxury Diet
My ideal diet is balance and moderation but I sometimes get carried away with the moment—the company—the food—the wine—and then, the next day, I start thinking about what I can eat that is low in calories but doesn’t make me feel deprived. My thoughts usually turn to shrimp—Brined and Boiled.
Since in my part of the country/world, it is close to impossible to find shrimp that have not been frozen before coming to market, I love to brine them which restores the lovely firm pre-frozen texture. It’s easy to do and takes little time. I’ve also worked out a method of “boiling” them that is very similar to hard cooking an egg, i.e. they don’t get boiled at all—just heated. This results in the most tender texture.
To brine the 1 pound of unshelled large shrimp: In a small bowl stir until dissolved: 1/4 cup of salt (preferably sea salt), 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of boiling water. Pour this mixture into a larger bowl and add 3 cups of cold water, a few handfuls of ice cubes, and the shrimp. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain and rinse well under cold running water.
To cook the shrimp: In a medium saucepan, place shrimp and cold water. Bring to a boil, cover, and allow to sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Drain and once and rinse under cold water. (If using jumbo shrimp you will need to let them sit for longer.)
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I just remember that my Mom used to add a little baking soda to her shrimp brine. It makes the shrimp so crunchy almost like fresh lobster tail. But dont use too much or soak too long as it can make it plastic.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | June 30, 2008 4:44 PM #
Hector- thanks for the proverb. in Indian subcontinent, we also practice this. the whole shrimp- if peeled- becomes rubbery when cooked.
Reply to this Posted by: nushera | September 7, 2007 1:07 AM #
Glad I could help!
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | September 6, 2007 9:23 PM #
Thanks Patricia. I've never seen it explained so thoroughly. Always good to learn something new.
Reply to this Posted by: EAC | September 6, 2007 9:15 PM #
Boiling means when the entire top of the water is bubbling with large bubbles. Scalding is when there are tiny bubbles just around the edges of the pan.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | September 6, 2007 8:58 PM #
I've always been confused. When you say start with the cold water and bring to boil..........how much is "boil?"
When it starts to bubble on the edges or when 1/2 the top is bubbling or when the entire top of water is bubbling?
Thanks.
Reply to this Posted by: EAC | September 6, 2007 12:13 PM #
September...fond memories of lots of baking with my grandmother. Working on developing a rocking pound cake with Grand Marnier...would work well as a base for any fruit shortcake...wishing all the members of the Rose family good baking...
Reply to this Posted by: Norma Marshall | September 6, 2007 5:48 AM #
I've heard and ancient Chinese proverb:
1- whenever cooking whole shrimp, always with the shells on.
2- whenever cooking chopped, blended, or mixed shrimp, cook with shells off.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | September 5, 2007 12:18 AM #
you're lucky to get heads on shrimp. yes the brine penetrates and softens the shells as well. you can leave the heads on or not. of course the fat in the heads adds flavor to whatever you're making.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | September 4, 2007 9:14 PM #
Unshelled? Really? And the brine will still penetrate them?
How about shrimp with the heads on? I usually remove the heads and use them for shrimp stock... should that be done before or after the brining?
Reply to this Posted by: Cook.Bot | September 4, 2007 5:38 PM #