Crazy About Shrimp

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By John Ash, Celebrity Chef

Most Americans are crazy about shrimp. We can’t seem to get enough of these succulent little creatures. In fact, we eat more shrimp per capita than any other nation on earth. If you don’t believe me, just look around next time you go to a cocktail party. There can be an array of perfectly wonderful dishes – but as soon as a platter of shrimp comes out, everyone immediately gravitates toward it and devours it first.

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The world of shrimp is huge. There are hundreds of species of shrimp around the world. They range from tiny to gigantic in size, and their shells come in every color of the rainbow, including some that in fact look like rainbows.

A few helpful facts on shrimp
Size matters: Shrimp is sold at the processor/wholesaler level according to the number in per pound, e.g., U 10 (under 10 per pound), 10 to 15, and so on. Keep in mind: The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp.

Buying shrimp: Shrimp – like all fish and shellfish – should have a clean, fresh “seaweedy” smell. Any hints of ammonia means that the shrimp is old (so don’t buy). I dislike the packaging methods of food in plastic that many supermarkets do these days because it denies us the use of one of our best tools to evaluate freshness – the nose.

Fresh vs. frozen: Unless you are in a place where you can buy shrimp right off the boat, all shrimp available on the market has been frozen. Once out of the water, shrimp deteriorates very quickly, and for this reason it is quickly processed and flash frozen. Most of what you get is sold with the head removed because that’s the first part to spoil. Don’t be fooled by promises like “fresh” and don’t be put off by the word “frozen.”

Shrimp shells: There is actually more flavor in the shell of the shrimp than in the meat. If you are peeling shrimp before cooking, don’t throw the shells away! Rather put them in a plastic freezer bag, seal it and toss the shrimp shells in the freezer. Next time you want ot make a fish/shellfish stock for a soup, sauce or stew, all you have to do is add them to chicken stock (canned stock is fine) and simmer them for 5 to10 minutes. Strain the shells out and discard. You’ve now got a delicious stock. The more shells you have, the more flavorful the stock. This is much better than using bottled clam juice, which is what many recipes will suggest when a fish stock is needed.

Brining: I almost always brine “green” (uncooked) shrimp before cooking them. It doesn’t take long and it adds succulence and a firmer, juicy texture that I think is fantastic. You can use a liquid brine, which is a combination of salt and brown sugar dissolved in cold water. Cover the peeled or unpeeled shrimp with the cold brine and let it sit between 15 minutes to an hour or so. Or, you can use the “dry method” by sprinkling the shrimp with a generous amount of kosher or sea salt and letting it sit for 10 to15 minutes. With either method, be sure to rinse the shrimp well before cooking to remove any excess salt. It won’t make the shrimp noticeably saltier. The “magic” results occur from osmosis. You probably learned about this in science class. It is a natural process that takes place if you have a semi-permeable membrane – in this case the shrimp. A liquid concentration will naturally migrate from the outside to the inside until it is equal on both sides. The salt is the catalyst here. It begins its migration into the shrimp, pulling along with it water and sugar. The water makes the shrimp more juicy and succulent and the sugar adds flavor. Sugar is one of nature’s best flavor enhancers, and that is why it shows up in savory dishes from many cuisines (for instance, what would savory Thai dishes be without palm or brown sugar?). Of course, you don’t want to leave the shrimp in the brine for too long or else the shrimp will become too salty. The idea is to take advantage of some of the natural osmotic movement, but then get the shrimp out before the meat is totally saturated with salt and sugar. Make sense? If not, just take my word as a chef – it works.

Here’s a simple recipe that illustrates the use of liquid brine teamed with a fresh made salsa. Grilled Brined Shrimp with Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa

John Ash, Celebrity Chef
John is a renowned chef, author and food and wine educator. He is the owner of John Ash & Company, a restaurant in Northern California with focus on local ingredients to complement the wines of the region. He has written several books, including “John Ash Cooking One-on-One” and “From the Earth to the Table.” For more information, visit www.chefjohnash.com

The articles written by guest contributors are the sole responsibility of the individual writers in terms of factual accuracy and opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher of this blog.

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