Shrimps are one of the most sought-after crustacean species in the culinary world for their subtle flavor and size, as well as for their color, whether gray or pink.They are easy to cook and provide important nutritional benefits. They are widely consumed all over the world and are often served as a dish at festive meals.
For you to have more detailed information about cooking shrimps we provide below a method for preparing them,which side dishes can be served with them and the benefits you get from their consumption.
Preparation of shrimps for a delicious meal
The cooked shrimp is known to be eaten as is, but it lends itself to various culinary preparations that can be very nutritious.
How to cook them?
The steps to cook shrimp are very simple:
- Choose fresh or frozen shrimp. If you choose fresh, the meat should be translucent white and the shell light gray. Make sure the shrimp do not lose any liquid.Frozen shrimp come precooked and raw. These methods are for raw shrimp.
- Choose shrimps with or without shells. Fresh shrimp are usually sold peeled. If you buy them in the shell, you will have to peel them yourself.You can peel shrimp before or after cooking. Many people find them easier to peel after being cooked. Besides, cooking them in the shell will preserve much more of the flavor.
- To peel shrimp, grab the shrimp by the legs and pull them out. Open the shell along the inside curve of the body and remove it.
- Devein the shrimps, after peeling them. It is much easier to do this before cooking. Use a paring knife to cut along the outer curve of the shrimp body. When you cut into it, you will see a dark brown or black vein. This is the shrimp’s digestive tract. Use your fingers, a fork or a paring knife to lift and remove it.
- If you are not going to cook them immediately, put them in the refrigerator.
- Remove them from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before cooking. Wash them with cold water and let them come to room temperature.
- Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the shrimps.
- Bring the water to a boil and bubble over high heat.
- Add the shrimps to the pot. Make sure they are completely submerged.
- Cook them for 1 to 2 minutes. As the water returns to heat again, wait for the small bubbles of water to break on the surface. This will occur after about 1 to 2 minutes, depending on how much water is in the pot. When you see the bubbles, remove the pot from the heat.
- Cover the pot and soak the shrimps. Let them continue to cook in the hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimps. They will turn pink when cooked.
- Drain the shrimps by pouring them into a colander. Serve warm.
How to match them?
Check out this list of some side dishes for shrimps and you can try new dishes at home:
- White rice with vegetables.
- Salad with avocado.
- Cucumber and lettuce salad.
- Roasted peppers.
You may want to visit https://successrice.com/recipes/easy-shrimp-fried-rice/ where a very appetizing recipe is given for you to try.
Benefits
The answer to why eat shrimps is simple: They are a treasure of nutritional benefits, some of them are summarized below.
- They are low in calories, which makes them an excellent ally for weight loss.
- They are rich in protein, since they contain all nine of our body’s essential amino acids and plays a key role in the formation of digestive enzymes, hormones and tissues, such as skin and bones. Protein also helps maintain muscle mass during weight loss.
- Source of omega-3: Because of that, they contribute to cardiovascular health.
- High phosphorus content: Besides their essential role in the formation of bones and teeth, they participate in the growth and regeneration of tissues.
- Source of magnesium required in bone development, protein building, enzyme actions, muscle contraction, dental health and immune system function.
- Vitamin E, antioxidant to protect the membrane that surrounds the body’s cells, especially red and white blood cells (immune system cells).
- They provide vitamin B3, also called niacin, which is involved in many metabolic reactions and contributes to producing energy from carbohydrates, lipids and alcohol that we ingest.
- Good source of:
- Cooper for the formation of hemoglobin and collagen.
- Selenium, which helps prevent the formation of free radicals in the body.
- Iron for the transport of oxygen necessary to produce energy in the cells.
- Zinc, which is involved in immune reactions, manufacture of genetic material, wound healing and fetal development.
