Shrimps are quick and easy to prepare and an affordable choice of seafood compared to other gourmet items like crab or lobster but can taste just as amazing when cooked perfectly. The quickest and simplest way how to cook shrimp is to fill a large saucepan with lightly salted water and bring it to a boil. Add the shrimps to the boiling water and cook for one to three minutes depending on the size, or until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Drain the cooked shrimp immediately and rinse in a colander under cold running water to stop cooking. You can now peel the shrimps and enjoy as easy appetizers or cocktail. You can also add the cooked and peeled shrimps to salads, soups, pasta, noodles, pizza, rice toppings, toast, wraps, or sandwiches.
Classic-style
Fresh shrimps are deliciously sweet even with little or no seasoning but you can also prepare them in various ways. Some of the most common ways of how to cook shrimp include grilling, sautéing, frying, broiling, steaming, and poaching. Butter and garlic are a classic combination for sautéing shrimps. Serve shrimps sautéed in butter or garlic on top of toast for quick and easy appetizers or toss with pasta and you have a light and unforgettable meal. You can also season the shrimps with lemon juice, white wine, and fresh herbs like parsley, basil, thyme, or coriander.
South American-style
Different cultures have their own ways of preparing and serving shrimps. Shrimps tacos are very quick to make and can also be healthy. Instead of using ground meat, use shrimps along with shredded lettuce, tomato salsa, onions, cilantro, avocado or mango and shredded cheese as filling for tortillas. A popular South American dish, ceviche, can be made with fresh shrimps seasoned with lemon juice, salt, dried or fresh chili peppers and garnished with onions, bell peppers, cilantro, parsley, and cherry tomatoes.
Mediterranean-style
Grilled shrimp is a popular backyard party food and takes only a few minutes to cook. You can thread the deveined shrimps onto skewers to make shrimp kabobs and grill over medium coals until pink and opaque. Grilled shrimps are perfect served with pilaf or couscous. You can also serve them with grilled pita bread together with mango salsa.
Chinese-style
Stir-fry shrimps with vegetables like bok choy, asparagus, or snap peas and season with orange or lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, and chili-garlic to make a quick and delicious Chinese meal. Serve on top of noodles or rice.
Southern-style
Classic Southern fried shrimps are made with a batter mixture of flour, egg, cream, and cornmeal. Cover the peeled and deveined shrimps in the batter and deep-fry. For a Cajun flavor, cook the shrimps in stewed tomatoes, peppers, garlic, wine, Tabasco sauce, and other spices. Make shrimp jambalaya with rice, tomatoes, garlic, ham, chopper vegetables, shrimps, and southern seasonings. Shrimp Creole is made with celery, onions and tomatoes and served with hot cooked rice. The popular southern staple shrimps and grits is made with stone ground grits and fresh shrimps. It can be topped with bits of bacon and cheese or other flavorful garnish like parsley and green onions.
