Shrimp is one of my favorites and whenever I get the chance to make it I take advantage of the opportunity. It can be a bit of a challenge to make it right when you are starting out, especially if you're not used to cooking seafood. I have learned though that with a little patience you can get great results and really enjoy your shrimp dishes. If you don't know how to cook frozen shrimp then here are some tips that might help you along the way.
You probably already know how to cook pre cooked shrimp. Just pan fry it or add it to a hot dish and throw in any ingredients you would normally use. It is usually just a matter of using an additional ingredient to make it taste better. When learning how to cook frozen shrimp the only difference I see is that I will add a little bit of cream or milk instead of water to help it thicken up a bit. In fact, when I was learning how to cook frozen shrimp I added about two teaspoons of milk to the recipe and it was so thick it took a little bit of effort to thin it out.
Another option with how to cook frozen shrimp is to try cooking it raw. I did not have any success doing this at first but I will give it a try at a later time. Raw shrimp is very easy to prepare. You simply mix it with some vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and heat in the oven or on the stove. The shrimp will cook quickly and the flavors will remain in tact.
Some people who are trying how to cook frozen shrimp may be concerned about removing the clump of meat from their shrimp. You do not necessarily have to; however, you will have to do your best to remove as much of the meat as possible without burning it. Once you have removed as much of the meat as possible you can serve the shrimp with the remainder of the vinegar, salt and pepper. You will find that this dish tastes just as good as cooked shrimp, and it is usually less expensive as well.
Before learning how to cook frozen shrimp it is important that you realize that this type of shrimp is rarely healthy. It is full of high amounts of sodium which can cause high blood pressure and other health related problems. For this reason, if you are not already consuming plenty of fresh seafood on a daily basis you should begin eating more often and start eating a variety of seafood species. Learning how to cook frozen shrimp will not prevent you from enjoying these tasty foods again but it will allow you to enjoy them more often and in healthier quantities.
Another thing to remember is that how to cook frozen shrimp is very much like how to cook fresh shrimp. When you purchase shrimp it is usually stored either in a plastic bag or airtight container in your freezer until you can get it to you. There is really nothing special or difficult about preparing these types of shrimp except for the fact that you have to make sure that it is thawed before cooking it. If you don't thaw it properly you will notice that it has lost its flavor and becomes rather raw and unappetizing.
To cook shrimp you should first bring it to room temperature or about sixty five degrees. Once it is thawed, wash it very well using a sponge and then lay it on a wire cooling rack lined with aluminum foil. Be sure to leave some space between each piece of foil. Once it has been placed on the rack it will need to be allowed to slowly cool. It is better to cook shrimp immediately after it is purchased than it is to cook it on a hot day where it can scorch.
Once it is fully cooled, you are ready to start cooking. Turn your oven on and preheat it for about one to two hours. Once it is two hours old, turn the shrimp and cook it according to the instructions on the package. As you can see from the steps above, it is really easy to learn how to cook frozen shrimp. The shrimp will taste great when it is served cold so remember to keep that in mind when you are preparing it.
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