To Boil, Shrimps
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Pick out the large shrimps and discard the smaller ones.
Cook
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt.
Remove any scum that forms on the surface.
Add the shrimps to the boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
Pour the shrimps into a colander to drain.
Serve
Spread them on a soft cloth to cool or serve them hot on a napkin.
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
- Large shrimps
- Provide the main protein, which turns opaque and firm when cooked in boiling water.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the cooking water so the shrimp are flavoured as they cook.
The step that matters
Add the shrimps to the boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Shrimp overcook quickly, and the proteins become tough and rubbery once past the point of being fully opaque. Timing the cook from when the water returns to a boil helps keep them tender.
“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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