Shrimp Cooking Tips

Some people think shrimp is hard to make. The fact is, it's one of the easiest seafoods you will ever prepare. Shrimp requires a very short cooking time and is almost foolproof, if you know a few secrets.

One of the best secrets is using SeaPak shrimp. We make it easy to prepare fantastic shrimp meals because we do the hard part for you, by selecting the very best shrimp and adding a variety of unique and flavorful seasonings. The rest is your own inspiration. So have fun.

Shrimp is definitely wins the prize for most versatile of all seafoods because it adapts well to both spicy and plain recipes. The number of unique ingredients shrimp complements is limitless. It also has the rare ability to turn plain pasta and sauce recipes into something elegant.

If you've made a spectacular shrimp dish, the last thing you want to do is throw away the leftovers. If you store it properly, shrimp will last up to two days in the refrigerator. Place shrimp in a small container within an hour of cooking and store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Your perfect dish will be ready for an encore.

Wine and shrimp are excellent together, but choosing the best wine depends on the type of shrimp dish you are preparing.

• Bold, complex wines are best for simple sautéed or grilled shrimp dishes. Select a dry white like a Reisling or Sauvignon Blanc.
• For smoky barbecue shrimp dishes, choose something fruity like a white zinfandel or even reds like Pinot Noir or Merlot.
• For shrimp with richer white or butter sauces, pair with a smooth Chardonnay.

It certainly takes practice, but it's an excellent way to keep shrimp cooking evenly. The secret is to push the pan away from you then pull it back quickly to slide the shrimp to the edge of the pan. Done correctly, the shrimp will slide up the edge of the pan and flip back into the center.

It's all about shrimp size. Shrimp count is the number of a particular size shrimp it takes to make a pound. 16-20 count shrimp means that there are 16-20 of that sized shrimp in a pound.

Absolutely, the smoky flavor adds great taste to any shrimp dish. The best way to do this is to skewer the shrimp horseshoe style. Skewer at the head and the tail so that it curves around in a U-shape. Keep the shrimp about 4 inches above the flame. Grill until opaque and moist on the inside, about 3 minutes. Turn once halfway through.

Place shrimp into a pre-heated pan. Stir shrimp continually over a medium-high heat for about 6 to 8 minutes if frozen, 4 to 6 minutes if thawed. They cook quickly, so make sure you keep a close eye on them. The last thing you want is overcooked shrimp.

Try the spring test. Hold the shrimp upside down and pull the tail down. If the shrimp is cooked properly, the tail will spring back. If it's undercooked it will not spring back.

The key to good shrimp is to cook it quickly. Unlike meat, shrimp does not need to be tenderized by cooking. In fact, the longer you cook it, the tougher it gets. That's why it is best to begin cooking shrimp in a pre-heated pan.

Although the ingredients of many shrimp dishes may vary, there are only a few basic methods of preparing shrimp, like sautéing, grilling, and baking. Once you've mastered those, there is no end to the ways you can enjoy this elegant, succulent seafood.