Boiling Shrimp

Boiling Shrimp © kvalifood.com

Fresh shrimp need only a brief boil, then left to cool in the water — that keeps them juicy and full of flavour. It is the simplest way to cook them, and the best. Serve warm with butter and bread.

Ingredients

Yields 4 servings

  • 1 kg fresh shrimp, shell on
  • water to cover
  • 1 tbsp salt per l water

Accompaniments

  • butter
  • white bread (or rye bread)

Directions

Cook the shrimp

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the shrimp and stir. Bring back to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and leave the shrimp to cool in the water.

Serving

Serve the shrimp warm with butter and bread. They are best while still slightly warm.

Peeling shrimp

Hold the shrimp between the thumb and index finger of your left hand. Press the head off with an angled upward push using the fingers of your right hand. Slide your thumb under the carapace and peel it away. Pinch off the tail and flip up the tail shell.

Notes

  • Small fjord shrimp are the most flavourful, though the larger North Sea shrimp are easier to peel.
  • The shrimp should only cook for 1 minute after the water returns to the boil — longer cooking gives a rubbery texture.
  • Cooling in the cooking water draws flavour back into the shrimp.
  • Fresh shrimp in season are a completely different experience from frozen. Ask your fishmonger.
  • The cooking water can be saved and used as the base for a fish soup.