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To Doil Shrimps or Prawns

A simple method for boiling shrimp and prawns in salted water.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 4 ingredients
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To Doil Shrimps or Prawns

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a fast boil and add the coarse sea salt.

  2. Add the shrimps and boil for 5 to 6 minutes, or less if they are very small.

  3. Add the prawns and boil for an additional 6 to 8 minutes.

  4. Remove from heat and drain in a colander.

  5. Spread the shrimps and prawns on a soft cloth to cool, or serve them hot on a napkin.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Shrimps
Main protein; boiling cooks the flesh until firm and opaque.
Prawns
Second main protein; cooked in the same water for a longer time.

The step that matters

Adding the prawns and shrimps at the right time. Shrimp cook quickly and turn tough and rubbery when overcooked. Prawns are larger and need the extra minutes. Timing each batch separately keeps both tender and evenly cooked.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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