Scampi Shrimp

There's lot you can do with shrimps - fried shrimp or scampi shrimp, brine the shrimps or barbecued shrimps. Whip up a shrimp salad or get together a pasta shrimp dish. We bring you tips on cooking shrimps. Look up our interesting shrimp recipes - cocktail shrimp recipes, grilled shrimp recipes, fried shrimp and scampi shrimp recipes.

Shrimp recipes

Shrimps are high in protein and low in calorie. They are wonderful in salads and pasta recipes. But if you opt for batter-fried shrimps, you will be piling on the calories. Shrimps are the most popular shellfish in the US and are popularly used in chowders, casseroles and as cocktail snacks. Shrimps come in brown, pink or white colors. Fresh shrimps are almost translucent.

Tiger shrimps have dark stripes. When cooked, shrimps turn a bright orange. Shrimps are graded on the basis of size and count. Frozen shrimps last about 6 months. Commercially frozen raw shrimps last longer. Cleaning and deveining shrimps before freezing may cause loss of flavor and texture. Defrost shrimps in the refrigerator or in cold water.

• Leave the shell of the shrimp if you are making a shrimp cocktail. It also allows the natural flavors and juices to be retained. Shrimp cooked in the shell has more flavor than shrimp peeled before cooking.
  
  
• Deveining the shrimps needs some skill. You can pick up special tools sold in seafood stores. You can leave on the tail when tossing together a shrimp salad.
  
  
• Ensure that you select shrimps that do not smell offensive since shrimps are highly perishable.
  
  
• Shrimps must be cooked just right. Overcooking makes them dry and rubbery.
  
  
• A medium shrimp is done in about 3 minutes, when it turns pink and gets firm. Take it out of the water and chill immediately. Jumbo shrimp take about 7 to 8 minutes while large shrimp take about 5 to 7 minutes.
  
  
• The weight of shrimps reduces by half when cooked.
  
  
• Do not defrost in a warm place else moisture, nutrients and weight will be lost.
  
  
• Ensure that you pat dry your frozen shrimps before using them in your dishes, lest you dilute the dressings.

Recipe shrimp

Recipe shrimp 1: This simple shrimp recipe will give you a tasty dish in minutes. Stir-fry chopped onion and garlic in olive oil. Add rosemary, paprika, shrimps, salt, pepper and white wine. Stir in tomato sauce and parsley and cook till shrimps are ready. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese and stir.

Recipe shrimp 2: Sauté shrimps in butter with garlic and add tomatoes, onions, cilantro and jalapeno. Add white wine and simmer for a couple of minutes. This shrimp recipe goes well with a bed of rice or tortillas.

Scampi shrimp

Scampi shrimp recipes are usually meant to indicate shrimps cooked with garlic and butter or olive oil. Sauté shrimps in butter till they turn pink. Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic and green onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add sherry and simmer 1 minute. Add cream to thicken the sauce. Garnish with parsley. You can serve scampi shrimp with French bread.

Tasty scampi shrimp recipe on skewers

Fresh or frozen medium shrimp in shells
Olive oil
Chopped garlic
Dry white wine
Snipped fresh parsley
Butter
Finely shredded lemon peel
Ground black pepper
Green onions

Stir-fry shrimps in butter and add garlic, wine, parsley, lemon peel and pepper. Place them on skewers with green onions and green peppers. Grill the scamp shrimps for about 6 - 8 minutes. Makes for a tasty appetizer.

Shrimp Scampi with a difference

Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Pepper
Butter
Olive Oil
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Garlic

Mix butter, oil, garlic, and pepper in a casserole dish. Add shrimp and toss lightly to coat. Spread shrimp in a single layer. Broil shrimps for 3-4 minutes each side. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Recipe salad shrimp

Shrimp salads are a wonderful and tasty way to enjoy your shrimps. Combine cooked shrimp with a dressing of your choice. Add a tang to your shrimp salad recipe with fresh cabbage, carrots and watercress. Whisk together lemon, oil, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss shrimp, asparagus, parsley and tomato with dressing and herbs. Allow shrimp salad to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Healthy shrimp salad recipe with artichokes and avocados
Ingredients for dressing - lemon juice, tarragon, salt, pepper, olive oil, mustard
Mix together chopped lettuce, chopped spring onions, chopped avocado, quartered artichokes and cooked shrimp. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve.

Brine shrimp

Brine shrimp refers to marinating the shrimp with salt to increase its moisture-holding capacity. Salting or brining the shrimp firms its texture and gives a moist product for cooking. But do not brine shrimps for too long else you may end up with a salty dish.

Brine shrimp is ideal for frying and grill recipes. Avoid brining for shrimp casseroles and soups and chowders. Add equal quantities of salt and sugar into boiling water till they are well dissolved. Fill into a large bowl of ice and place the shrimps too. After about 30 minutes or an hour, remove the shrimps and dry on paper towels. These shrimps are ready to be frozen and used later.

Pasta shrimp recipe

Shrimps and pasta make for a delicious combination. You can prepare shrimp pasta salads or choose recipes for shrimp pasta bakes or casseroles. Combine pasta and shrimp with asparagus, peppers, broccoli and other crunchy veggies. Use herbs and cheese and you have a wide range of shrimp pasta recipes. You can opt for spaghetti or fettuccini or pasta of your choice.

Ingredients:
Pasta of your choice
Chopped shallot
Asparagus
Chicken broth
Grated Parmesan cheese
Peeled and deveined shrimps
Olive oil
Dry white wine

Cook pasta and keep aside. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook shrimps and shallot for a minute. Add wine and stir. Add diagonally chopped asparagus and chicken broth. Cook till it thickens and asparagus is bright green. Pour over cooked pasta.

Shrimp pasta recipe - Serve shrimps and pasta with tangy marinara sauce. Cook chopped onions, peppers and garlic in a pan. Add chopped tomatoes and herbs like dried basil leaves, cayenne pepper and thyme. Add cleaned and deveined shrimps and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes under cover. The marinara sauce is ready to be poured over pasta and eaten piping hot.

Recipe for shrimp pasta pie - a one dish meal

Pasta of your choice
Broccoli florets
Chopped peppers
Beaten eggs
Grated Parmesan cheese
Butter
Diced onions
Chopped garlic
Peeled and deveined shrimps
Pepper, salt
Alfredo sauce

Cook pasta and keep aside. Mix with butter and cheese. Add eggs and pepper. Prepare a pie dish with this mixture and bake for about 15 minutes. Whip up the next layer of the pasta shrimp pie by stirring garlic, broccoli, peppers, onions and shrimps in a little butter. Season with sauce and spoon over the pie. Top it with mozzarella cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.

Grilled shrimp recipe

Marinade for grilled shrimp recipe - Mix olive oil, soy sauce, dry sherry and chopped garlic. Marinate shrimps for barbecue. Another recipe for grilled shrimp is to make a marinade with parsley, olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, tomato paste, salt, pepper and chopped garlic. After marinating the shrimps for a few hours, you can grill them for about 3 minutes each side.

Recipe for Barbecue shrimp

10 medium-sized fresh shrimp
1 small hot pepper
10 strips bacon
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 onion, finely sliced
Shell shrimp, devein and cut a small slit down each of them. Chop pepper into thin slivers. Insert a sliver into each of the shrimps. Thread bacon strips wrapped around shrimps. Use barbecue sauce for basting and grill for about 5 minutes each side. The crisp bacon and pink shrimps taste wonderful with a freshly tossed salad.

Cocktail shrimp

Recipe for sauce for cocktail shrimps - Combine chili sauce, lime juice, chopped parsley, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish. You can serve boiled and tossed shrimps with this hot cocktail sauce. You can conjure a chilled shrimp cocktail by combining cooked shrimp pieces, broccoli florets, chopped mint leaves, yogurt, lime juice, sliced nuts and salt and pepper.

You can serve cocktail shrimp in iced martini glasses and garnish with lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs. Liven up a shrimp cocktail with olives and oranges. Chilled champagne flutes with salted rims are yet another interesting options for serving shrimp cocktails. Combine horseradish, tomatoes, salt, peppercorns, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce and lemon juice. Pour over poached shrimps and serve on crushed ice.

Fried shrimp

Batter fried shrimp can make for an easy and tasty snack. You can get innovative with fried shrimp recipes and whip up hors d'oeuvre or appetizers. Mix a batter with all-purpose flour, cooking oil, eggs, salt and milk. Dip cleaned shrimps in the batter and fry them in hot oil till the shrimps turn golden brown. Drained on paper towels. Another variation of the fried shrimp batter is to add coconut flakes.

You can replace the flour with corn starch or soy flour. Roll batter-coated butter in coconut flakes before frying. This lends the shrimps a yummy flavor. Create exciting dipping sauces for the fried shrimps. Fried shrimps are ready in a couple of minutes - golden brown on the outside and opaque in the center. You can add fried shrimps to a sauce of coconut cream and sherry.