How do you cook shrimp?

Puggles

Puggles

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I need another way too cook raw shrimp besides boiling them (saute doesn't apply for this situation). I want nice cocktail shrimp, but boiling them tightens them up, curls them and make them plump and they are absolutely amazing for stuff like pasta, but I want them more "cocktail shrimp" size and look.
 
Oh my. I love shrimp. Let me count the ways! I have found that they often will curl up when they are fresh and that's hard to avoid. I like to butterfly the jumbo 16/20 count shrimp/prawns and lay them flat in a baking pan with a roasted garlic butter sauce and topped with parmesan/romano cheese before baking, and they tend to not curl up as much when I do that. A few months back I prepped them like that in a foil pan and we stuck them in the smoker, and the butter garlic parmesan sauce had this fantastic smoky flavor that was so good being soaked up with some crusty bread (baguettes made with my sourdough starter, thank you Puggles).

I also love breading them in a buttermilk eggwash with a mix of regular breadcrumbs and Panko. Also yum. Edit to add that I fried them after.

And of course there is always the good ole shrimp cocktail. Or using the shrimp in a seafood chowder or seafood pasta...and more. Whatcha gonna do?
 
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Okay, you might already know this but when you're heating proteins to cook them lots of things happen at different temperatures. Like JAS_OH1 said about butterflying them this leads to shortening the protein chains so they're not *as* chewy since they're not as long. Here are a couple of links describing the process you're trying to affect:

Link 1

Link 2

I've found that steam is the best method. It's gradual in regards to applied energy and is more controllable than boiling, simmering, or other heated liquids.

Hth!
 
Puggles said:
I need another way too cook raw shrimp besides boiling them (saute doesn't apply for this situation). I want nice cocktail shrimp, but boiling them tightens them up, curls them and make them plump and they are absolutely amazing for stuff like pasta, but I want them more "cocktail shrimp" size and look.
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Steam, poach or sous vide.
 
When I'm gonna boil them (if they aren't already cut), I will take a pair of kitchen shears and cut across the top from tail to head (heads off and pulling out the gut line/sand vein). Cutting makes them easier to peel after cooking and helps them curl less. I leave the shells on.

I'm old school southern girl from NW Florida panhandle (beach girl) with family in SE Texas on the gulf. We didn't cut and clean shrimp until they were boiled (sometimes heads off), then we peeled them and ate them without cleaning out the mud vein. Zatarains seasoning or Old Bay boil. I miss home and I love that smell, reminds me of good times. Back when I was warm!
 
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