How to clean shrimp/prawns

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

It's probably surprising to some folks in my country, too.
But I'm sure the heads go to good use. Cat food maybe

View attachment 135145

There's no way the cats are getting this haul!

Into the freezer for the next time I need fish stock

 

[PAcanis]

There's no way the cats are getting this haul!
View attachment 135154
Into the freezer for the next time I need fish stock

They're already cooked?

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

They're already cooked?

Yes but still have so much to give!

 

[PAcanis]

I thought they came uncooked and the head and vein got removed before cooking.

 

[Barriehie]

Yes but still have so much to give!

They're like the slushy machine!

 

[JAS_OH1]

I thought they came uncooked and the head and vein got removed before cooking.

It depends on what you want to do with them.

Yes but still have so much to give!

My freezer bag at home have a mix of cooked and uncooked shells. I just add to it until it's full.

 

[PAcanis]

It depends on what you want to do with them.

For a stock, wouldn't it be better to start with the "trimmings" raw rather than cooked?
How many times can you cook something before it stops giving up flavor?

 

[JAS_OH1]

For a stock, wouldn't it be better to start with the "trimmings" raw rather than cooked?
How many times can you cook something before it stops giving up flavor?

That's true, but pieces of cooked seafood do stick to the shells, especially with crab and lobster. And there's always those tail ends that have meat left in them with shrimp and lobster.

 

[PAcanis]

Interesting.
Thanks.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Spanish restaurants here (and, in my limited experience, in Spain) will usually serve shrimp/prawns whole, cooked just as they are. No peeling, no de-veining; just as they are. The only exceptions I can think of are al ajillo ( with garlic) or enchiladas ( usually a spicy sauce with tomatoes, onions and peppers.
If I'm grilling them, then they're whole. If they're for another dish, I peel them, reserve the heads/legs/shells, and make a small incision on the back to remove the digestive tract - with a toothpick.

 

[medtran49]

It's probably surprising to some folks in my country, too.
But I'm sure the heads go to good use. Cat food maybe

View attachment 135145

That's what I use, easy peasy.

 

[medtran49]

We usually use heads on shrimp when we make NOLA BBQ shrimp. The heads are used in the base for the sauce.

Recipe - BBQ Shrimp

Heads on actually come out more expensive as there is a lot of weight in those heads, that most just throw away. Heads off shrimp are more expensive to begin with, but there's a lot less waste for most people.

 

[JAS_OH1]

I've got a doohickey for removing the vein and splitting the shell on the rare occasion they aren't already done.
But I've never bought a whole shrimp that still had the head.

 

[badjak]

I'm trying to remember what I use for cleaning shrimp/prawns. It's been a while.
I think just the tip of a knife, or my fingers or a tooth pick.
We do have fresh water cray fish here. They are a bit bigger, so I use knife

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

My knife was wholly inadequate for butterflying the prawns. Made the job take twice as long. I'm thinking maybe I need a dedicated knife for sushi?