Shrimp

One of the items I want to prepare for my daughter's annual Dress To Impress Christmas party is mini tostados with guacamole and grilled shrimp.

Only problem, I've never cooked shrimp. So, my questions are:

What should I buy/look for (probably get it from Costco)?

and

How do I know when it's done (I"ll be cooking in a large wok-like 'bowl' with holes in it over charcoal)?

I've done grilled shrimp a few times and always did them on skewers over the grill. I buy frozen green shrimp with shells still attached. When they turn pink, they are done. Here is a link to cooking for the NiagaraCOOL picnic a few years ago - scroll down to see the shrimp.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16447&p=138714

Get medium shrimp or prawns, 25 or 30 count per pound. In the tostadas, I'd get shelled - it's a lot of work to peel them yourself.
When you toss them into the wok-colander-bowl-gizmotron, shake them and stir them frantically. They cook FAST! If you have a hot fire, less than a minute.
Presumably you'll have pre-coated them with oil or salad dressing or something like that. Don't let it brown. When they're turning pink and are no longer translucent, they're done.
Shrimp are like scrambled eggs - you stop cooking them just BEFORE they're done enough. They finish cooking while you're serving them.

John

One of the items I want to prepare for my daughter's annual Dress To Impress Christmas party is mini tostados with guacamole and grilled shrimp.

Your guests will love these, they go over very well. Are you planning on making your guacamole fresh? It is so much better than the store bought. I love Ina Garten's from Barefoot Contessa's guac. especially if you keep it chunky. The party sounds like loads of fun.

One of the items I want to prepare for my daughter's annual Dress To Impress Christmas party is mini tostados with guacamole and grilled shrimp.

Your guests will love these, they go over very well. Are you planning on making your guacamole fresh? It is so much better than the store bought. I love Ina Garten's from Barefoot Contessa's guac. especially if you keep it chunky. The party sounds like loads of fun.

I have so many other things to do I'm planning on buying the guac already made. There are a few good ones available to choose from. And sometimes we just can't find good avocados here - either already over the hill or hard as a rock.

And sometimes we just can't find good avocados here - either already over the hill or hard as a rock.

Especially in December!

Get medium shrimp or prawns, 25 or 30 count per pound. In the tostadas, I'd get shelled - it's a lot of work to peel them yourself.
When you toss them into the wok-colander-bowl-gizmotron, shake them and stir them frantically. They cook FAST! If you have a hot fire, less than a minute.
Presumably you'll have pre-coated them with oil or salad dressing or something like that. Don't let it brown. When they're turning pink and are no longer translucent, they're done.
Shrimp are like scrambled eggs - you stop cooking them just BEFORE they're done enough. They finish cooking while you're serving them.

Just to add a little onto what John said:
-- Shrimp are sold by the count of how many to the pound. So, the smaller the number, the bigger the shrimp. You might want to think about what these hors d'oeuvres will look like before you buy.
-- You definitely want to wet them with seasoning before you grill. An oil-based dressing is good but you'll also get good results from soaking in beer, or a mayonnaise-based rub (I'm thinking in the tandoori style).
-- As John said, when they're pink, they're done, and they will continue to firm up after you take them off the grill. My partner and I, however, don't mind a little frizzle on the edge so if you have a hot spot on the fire, well, a few extra seconds....
-- Oh, and definitely have someone else shell them. I see no benefit to doing this yourself when the fishmonger will do it for you (and in 1/5 of the time it would take you).


Jeff

Thanks for all the replies. I bought some uncooked shrimp (peeled) from Costco and I'm going to to a 'test run' tomorrow evening and grill some shrimp with southwest seasonings.

Have fun!

John

[Jenise]

Thanks for all the replies. I bought some uncooked shrimp (peeled) from Costco and I'm going to to a 'test run' tomorrow evening and grill some shrimp with southwest seasonings.

You shouldn't have any trouble, Doug. Once you cook them you'll realize you know when they're done, as Howie I think said they turn pink, but they also go from fairly transluscent to opaque. When they JUST turn opaque, they're done. Past that and you'll overcook them. And, a suggestion? Shrimp benefit hugely in taste AND texture (they're firmer/snappier) when pre-soaked just minutes in a small amount of heavily salted water--say 1/4 a cup of water and a heaping teaspoon of salt to one pound of shrimp. Or other liquid: a shot or two of tequila stretched with a tiny bit of water and the salt gives a most excellent flavor to shrimp, especially for a party food. Good luck.

>>>> Or other liquid: a shot or two of tequila stretched with a tiny bit of water and the salt gives a most excellent flavor to shrimp

Makes me think of a dish I've tried and failed to replicate, "Drunken Prawns" that I had in Singapore. I had it at a couple of the street cafes.
At the best one, out in the west end not far from the Night Zoo, they made a bit of a production out of it, bringing the live prawns in a stainless steel bowl for our approval. The prawns were jerking around and snapping their itsy bitsy claws, and if a prawn could be drunk, they were! The liquid they were swimming in was clear, so I suspect the water had either vodka or gin added.
When the prawns returned, after approval, they were red and dead, in a garlic, ginger and green onion sauce (just the usual sauce), and they had a nice tang that isn't usual for prawns. That leads me to suspect gin.
They were delicious, of course, and that's why I've worked on it for a decade now.
I've never tried it with live prawns - they're not the easiest thing to get here at home. I have tried marinating the prawns in gin, vodka or brandy for varying amounts of time. Gin or brandy works best, and about 45 minutes or so seems to add as much flavor as they're going to get. They're much better with the shells on.
I'm going to have to try it with a strong saltwater and gin mix.

John

Well, I got two thumbs up from my daughter's boyfriend who eats more shrimp than anyone I know. I thought they could use more seasoning (I used Penzey's Adobo) but after reading your comments Jenise, I think salt is what was missing. I'll be doing the pre-soak this weekend.

[Jenise]

I think salt is what was missing. I'll be doing the pre-soak this weekend.

Good, I think you'll like that result. It doesn't so much salt the shrimp as put back that briny, salt-water character that makes the shrimp taste fresher, and as I said it firms up the meat which adds a sensation of freshness too.

I think salt is what was missing. I'll be doing the pre-soak this weekend.

Good, I think you'll like that result. It doesn't so much salt the shrimp as put back that briny, salt-water character that makes the shrimp taste fresher, and as I said it firms up the meat which adds a sensation of freshness too.

Wow, thanks for that tip, Jenise. I did that last night letting the shrimp brine for about 20 minutes and they were as you described. Finished with a pan sauce of Sriracha, butter, garlic, and half and half. It was wonderful.

Drew

[Jenise]

I think salt is what was missing. I'll be doing the pre-soak this weekend.

Good, I think you'll like that result. It doesn't so much salt the shrimp as put back that briny, salt-water character that makes the shrimp taste fresher, and as I said it firms up the meat which adds a sensation of freshness too.

Wow, thanks for that tip, Jenise. I did that last night letting the shrimp brine for about 20 minutes and they were as you described. Finished with a pan sauce of Sriracha, butter, garlic, and half and half. It was wonderful.

Drew

Glad that worked out for you. If you're ever short on time, even five minutes will make 90% of that difference.

Regardless of what else i do I always thaw my shrimp in salted lemon water to remove any off tastes and "freshen" the shrimp.