Cooking Shrimp 101

[ShawtyCat]

Im overcooking my shrimp. I just know it. But before I go and seriously damage my poor tastebuds with those tiny precooked shrimp...I am hoping someone...anyone can help me. Pwweezzz??

Oh...yeah.. What the heck does opaque look like??

[rich]

As soon as they turn pink - they're ready - get them off the fire.

[ShawtyCat]

Errr...does that apply to the ones that are already shelled?? I was told to cook them till they turned opaque...but I can't tell WHAT opaque looks like.

[rich]

Forget opaque - think pink! Yes, it apllies to shelled shrimp.

[ShawtyCat]

Goddamit! They should edit that word out of cookbooks! I picked up a strictly shrimp cookbook thinking I could learn something about cooking shellfish and those bastards told me opaque! Allrightythen. Thanks Rich. Now I don't feel like such a dumbass. Pink it is.

Edit: I looked up Opaque.

a. Impenetrable by light; neither transparent nor translucent.

b. Not reflecting light; having no luster: an opaque finish.

What the heck is that supposed to mean in cooking terms?? At least I can SEE pink.

[SobaAddict70]

In cooking terms, it means exactly as you found the definition.

When they turn pink -- that is, they lose their translucent nature and are more "solid looking".

SA

[Oreganought]

Just to confuss things the outside is pink the inside is opaque.

If the shrimp are of the 6 to 8 per lb variety you could have under cooked shrimp with the outside being pink.But that's ok by me.

[rich]

True, but at that size and at $25 a pound who would dare call them "shrimp" to their face.

[ShawtyCat]

In cooking terms, it means exactly as you found the definition.

When they turn pink -- that is, they lose their translucent nature and are more "solid looking".  

SA

Solid looking? That's what I cooked them to and they were tough little suckers. I bought those Jumbo peeled shrimp from the supermarket that were almost 10 bux a pound. I have no clue what size they are.

[rich]

Jumbo and $10 a pound translate into 21-25 shrimp per pound (most likely). Don't worry, you don't have 4-6 per pound. They would look like one-armed small lobsters.

[Jaymes]

In cooking terms, it means exactly as you found the definition.

When they turn pink -- that is, they lose their translucent nature and are more "solid looking".  

SA

Solid looking? That's what I cooked them to and they were tough little suckers. I bought those Jumbo peeled shrimp from the supermarket that were almost 10 bux a pound. I have no clue what size they are.

Back some years ago when I first began cooking shrimp, I was advised by someone to cook them "until they JUST BEGIN to curl."

And that's what I've done.

And it always seems to work out great.

[Oreganought]

True, but at that size and at $25 a pound who would dare call them "shrimp" to their face.

I live in the GTA greater toronto area and I buy the 6 to 8 lb by the box (4lb) individually frozen for $52.00 cdn. 13.00 a lb.

If I'm cooking normal sized shrimp,on a med-high flame they will cook literally in 90 to 120 seconds.

If they have curled,there overdone.

[chiffonade]

Im overcooking my shrimp.  I just know it.  But before I go and seriously damage my poor tastebuds with those tiny precooked shrimp...I am hoping someone...anyone can help me.    Pwweezzz??

Oh...yeah..  What the heck does opaque look like??

Shawts...Opaque simply means you can't see through it. Translucent means you can partially see through it. Shrimp look almost translucent when they're raw but they're unmistakably opaque after cooking.

LESS is definitely better than more. Shrimp will continue to cook for a short period after removing them from the heat source. They will cook even longer afterward if they are in any type of sauce.

[rich]

Great price - what's the airfare to Toronto?