How to Clean Shrimp
Here is everything you need to know about choosing, defrosting, peeling, deveining and brining shrimp before you cook it.
Servings 1 pound
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 toothpick
- ½ tablespoon baking soda
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Peel the Shrimp
- Starting at the thickest part of the shrimp, grab ahold of the legs, and pull them to one side. This should allow you to unwrap the shell from the shrimp.1 pound shrimp
- Repeat the previous step up closer to the tail to get the shrimp peeled to the tail.
- Fan the tail out and pinch it between your thumb and forefinger to press out any meat in the tail.
- Pull the shrimp and tail in opposite directions to remove the shell from the tail.
Devein Shrimp
- With the back of the shrimp facing you, insert a toothpick towards the tail, just to the right of center.1 toothpick
- Work the tip of the toothpick under where the vein is in the center of the shrimp and then pry the toothpick up to pull the vein up to the surface.
- Continue prying up until the vein comes out of the shrimp.
- Use your fingers to pluck the vein the from the shrimp.
Brine the Shrimp
- Dissolve ½ tablespoon of baking soda into 2 cups of water (double or triple for more shrimp)½ tablespoon baking soda, 2 cups water
- Add the shrimp into the mixture and then soak in the refridgerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the shrimp thoroughly before using.
