Always keep in mind how you're going to use or serve your shrimp after you're done boiling them. If you plan to serve them cold, drain and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
You can clean shrimp when they're raw or previously cooked. Rinse the shrimp in cold water to remove any loose shell bits or gunk from the inside of the shrimp.
You Didn't Clean Them
And while it sounds unsavory, there's nothing intrinsically bad about eating a shrimp digestive tract. But the shrimp gut can contain sand and mud, and while you might not taste it, the gritty texture is none too pleasant.
Once the shrimp are all deveined, rinse under cold running water and place on ice until ready to use. The process of peeling and deveining is quick, simple, and painless. You'll enjoy eating your fresh shrimp so much more after using this simple technique!
The vein in shrimp is entirely edible, and removing it or not is a matter of preference. That said, a dark vein can be a bit unsightly in some preparations, like boiled shrimp for shrimp cocktail, and can also add a noticeable grittiness to dishes. For this reason it's usual to devein shrimp, but it's up to you.
It's time to clean and prep! Rinse them thoroughly with cold water in a large bowl or colander. Make sure to give each prawn their moment under the water–rubbing their shell and underbelly. To pull or not to pull (the head) is entirely up to you and how you want to cook them or, as the recipe suggests.
Like all other perishable foods, raw shrimp left at room temperature or in warm water can become a breeding ground for bacteria.
If you have time to thaw shrimp the night before cooking, placing them in the refrigerator is the best method. To do so, just place them in an airtight container and put them in the fridge. The following day, when you're ready use them. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel before cooking.
Rinse the shrimp under cold water to remove ice crystals.
Place the frozen shrimp in a colander and rinse under cool running water for about 1 minute — you want to remove any ice crystals and separate any shrimp that are frozen together. Shake the colander to remove as much excess water as possible.
Day Dream Kitchen explains that vinegar helps to loosen the attachment between the shell and the meat of the shrimp. They claim it is not 100 % effective, but it does help. Vinegar also helps to add flavor to the shrimp. Live Strong says that adding vinegar enhances the taste of shrimp, and Black Tail NYC agrees.
Raw shrimp contains bacteria that can cause unpleasant reactions, so we recommend fully cooking shrimp. That being said, you don't want to overcook your shrimp. Overcooked shrimp are tough and chewy.
Fish is in the same category as poultry and red meat: If you wash it, you will spread bacteria around your kitchen. Cook it off instead. The only exceptions to this rule are clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops that you get fresh. They may need a rinse to get rid of sand and dirt.
After deveining the prawns, you should rinse them once more with cold water. This will help ensure all remnants of the intestines are completely removed.
To save water – don't wash the prawns off one by one as you peel them – simply put them all together and wash them in one go when you have finished peeling. Some purists feel that washing the prawn dilutes the taste – but it's really up to you.
You'll bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with some fresh lemon juice. Once boiling, add the shrimp and boil until they're pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp to an ice bath, which is a bowl of water and ice. This will stop the cooking immediately, leaving the shrimp perfectly tender.
Salt them a little bit ahead (a.k.a. dry brine).
In my testing, this was one of the most noticeable differences in making shrimp taste more delicious and more like themselves, and it should surprise no one.
One is a white vein which is on the underside of the shrimp. It is white because a shrimp has clear blood. There is no real food safety reason to remove the clear shrimp vein (I don't) but you may do so if it bothers you. The main “vein” is the one which runs along the top of the body.