How to eat shrimp in shell. Table etiquette: how to eat shrimp, mussels, crayfish and lobsters

Shrimp is one of the most common marine products in our country, although some eight or ten years ago, shrimp had little popularity. Today, they are sold in almost any store, hypermarket or shopping center. In this article, you will learn how to eat shrimp and with what.
Shrimps are often used to make salads, they also make a good variety of them. We are all sure that we know how to eat shrimp, but still a few tips about this may be useful to someone.
fried? The shell must be removed, leaving it only at the tip of the shrimp tail. It is for this tip that they take the shrimp to dip it in the sauce, and bite off the peeled part of the shrimp. If shrimps are a component of a sea cocktail, then in this case they are eaten with a dessert fork.
How to eat shrimp that is not peeled? These shrimp can be eaten with your hands. The shrimp itself needs to be cleaned, and the shell set aside on a special plate prepared for this. You also need to take care of a cup of water and lemon in advance, designed to rinse your hands. If the shrimps are large, then you can use a special lobster fork - it is easy for her to get the meat from the tail fin.
If you are eating shrimp broth, then you can eat them whole, as the broth is usually boiled from small specimens. Large shrimp should be cut exclusively with a fork; a knife is not used for this, according to the rules of etiquette.
Spaniards are very fond of showing off that they have their own way of eating shrimp the Spanish way. First, they must be cooked according to the appropriate recipe - the shrimps are scalded in a frying pan in olive oil, then crushed garlic, parsley and hot pepper, finely chopped, are added to them. Then you need to put the tomato paste in the pan and boil for five minutes. The shrimp should not float in the sauce, but should be soaked in it. The Spaniards most often use the product prepared in this way with beer or as a snack.
Now let's figure out what shrimp eat with. In our country, this product is most often one of the components of a salad, but it can also be used much more widely. Shrimp are used to make various pâtés and soufflés. In Italian cuisine, they are often added to paella, pizza and pasta.
If shrimp are served on the table as an independent dish, then peas, rice, cauliflower, asparagus and other vegetables that have a pleasant mild taste are perfect as a side dish.
Shrimp pairs perfectly with avocados, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and other seafood. It is recommended to season with olive oil or tomato sauce.
Orange and lemon zest harmonizes very well with shrimp, and butter or olive oil, garlic, ginger paste is also excellent for shrimp. Seasonings like cumin and coriander are an integral part of shrimp; in Japan, it is customary to pour soy sauce on fried shrimp while eating. The combination of olive oil and chili sauce also adds an original spicy flavor to the shrimp.

Of course, it is also important to know which wines should be consumed with shrimp. Various dry and semi-dry wines are perfect for chilling the wine to 12 or even 8 degrees before drinking. Semi-sweet wines are also very good with shrimp, they should also be cooled to a temperature of 8-12 degrees. It is better not to use fortified wines with shrimp, as the delicate and pleasant taste of shrimp will not open and will be interrupted by the taste of fortified wine, and not supplemented.

Today, shrimp consumption is quite widespread. However, in order for the natural taste of these arthropods to be really noticeable, you need to know what shrimp are eaten with. By taking into account some of our tips, you will get a nutritious and healthy meal.

What and how do shrimp eat?

With the advent of a wide variety of food on the shelves, shrimp have become very popular among lovers of seafood delicacies. This is not surprising since their soft and delicate taste is complemented by a large number of useful trace elements. This gives the marine product even more value.

All types of mollusks are divided into:

  1. Inhabitants of warm waters;
  2. Inhabitants of cold waters;
  3. freshwater;
  4. species that live in salt water.

Thus, in the process of evolution, these crustaceans have adapted to any aquatic habitat.

Shrimp are called scavengers in the marine environment. If they find the remains of shellfish or fish, they will never pass by such food. In addition, they also love sea plants, which have thick, fleshy leaves.

The shrimp uses its whiskers to scan the space around it in search of food. Some of them are able to dig a small layer of soil in search of prey. The crustacean is able to sharply attack its prey, and deep-sea blind relatives feed on silt.

They have a large jaw that grinds food, moving it further into the stomach. All major organs are located in the head of the mollusk.

Crustaceans grown in reservoirs for the purpose of further sale for the food industry feed on small crustaceans and special algae, as well as various feeds with mineral supplements.

What is the right way to eat shrimp?

Eating shrimp has its own culture. In order not to fall face down in some restaurant when you are served such a dish, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for eating these crustaceans in advance.

  • Since all the products of vital activity and internal organs are in her head area, the head is not suitable for eating and is broken off in the neck area;
  • Numerous legs of the crustacean are also torn off;
  • Next, the meat is freed from the shell;
  • All waste is placed in a separate plate;
  • After use, dip your hands in a bowl of lemon water to remove the smell from the skin of your hands.

Some connoisseurs use a lobster fork to cut and eat shrimp. However, this option is only possible when using large species. In most cases, shrimp are cut by hand and this method is not considered shameful.

In this video, chef Oleg Vernikov will show you how to properly clean cooked shrimp before eating:

Fried prawns are cooked peeled with a small piece of shell on the tail. The tail in the shell is left so that during the meal you can take the crustacean for it and, having dipped it in the sauce, put the meat into your mouth.

All other dishes with the use of crustaceans imply their use in a purified state.

How to fry shrimp in a pan with garlic?

One common way to cook small arthropods is frying. Those who have tried this dish definitely confirm its wonderful and interesting taste.

In order to cook it yourself, you need:

  1. Defrost half a kilogram of shrimp and peel them;
  2. Peel 100 grams of garlic;
  3. Pass the garlic through the garlic press into the shrimp dish;
  4. Add a few drops of soy sauce to it. It all depends on taste preferences;
  5. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon;
  6. Salt and pepper;
  7. Leave the dish for a while so that the seafood is well marinated;
  8. After draining the marinade;
  9. Heat up the butter in a frying pan;
  10. Put the shrimp in the pan;
  11. Fry, stirring, until they are browned;
  12. Then sprinkle the finished dish with chopped herbs.

A treat prepared in this way will become a delicious snack for various celebrations, and will also be an unusual decoration for a family dinner.

Can you eat them raw?

In theory eating raw shrimp is possible, but in many circumstances it is better not to do this.

  • They can carry various pathogenic bacteria;
  • Depending on their habitat and catch, contain heavy metals or even radiation;
  • Arthropod dietary habits are also not very safe.

The main danger in eating raw crustaceans is poisoning. Any heat treatment will help to destroy most pathogens. Considering that it is easy to perform and is not long in time, it is best not to neglect it.

Although in some Asian countries there are types of shrimp, which the locals eat raw immediately after being caught.

How to choose in a supermarket and with what to eat?

Most shrimp are supplied to the Russian market from abroad. Domestic catch goes, on the contrary, for export. In addition, there are many farms where they are grown artificially.

When choosing a product in the store, pay attention to:

  1. per package. Manufacturers should be clearly indicated there, addresses and telephone numbers should be indicated. It is best to purchase packages of well-known brands, the probability of buying a low-quality product in this case will be lower;
  2. For color and shape the crustaceans themselves. They should be light pink in color and intact. The color of the head of the mollusk is green or brown. This is caused in the first case by the nutrition of the individual, and in the second by its pregnancy. If the head is black, it is dangerous to eat such a shrimp because she was sick before the freeze. Also, the unbent tails testify to the death of an individual before freezing;
  3. For ice content or snow in the package. According to the norms, the ice cover of a shrimp should not exceed seven percent, however, it often happens that manufacturers or direct sellers deliberately freeze a much larger layer of ice to increase the cost of the product. Also, if you notice white snow inside the package, this indicates improper storage or transportation of the product. Most likely in this case it was thawed, and then re-frozen for sale. The usefulness and quality of such a product is questionable.

Cooked shrimp are best paired with vegetables, such as:

  • cucumbers;
  • Tomatoes;
  • Asparagus;
  • Cabbage;
  • Salad;
  • Cucumbers.

Of the side dishes, it is considered the most suitable boiled rice. Often shrimp is used in the preparation of various salads, sandwiches and fish soups.

Thus, knowing what shrimp eat with, you can easily combine existing products and diversify your dinner with just one package of a healthy product. So you will not only surprise and pamper your relatives, but also make up for the deficiency of useful trace elements in the body. However, remember that due to high cholesterol content frequent and unlimited use of crustaceans is not permissible.

Video: how to choose high-quality shrimp in the store?

In this video, Anna Onishchenko will tell you how to choose shrimp in supermarkets, what you should pay attention to when buying:

Many people around the world just love shrimp. This seafood is known for the variety of its names among the menus of the peoples of the world. Science has identified several thousand species of shrimp. But the population of the Earth consumes only about four hundred out of all this multitude. Let's talk about how to choose the most delicious shrimp, how to properly serve them and use them cleverly.


Helpful information

What useful information is important about these amazing crustaceans? It is believed that shrimp are warm-blooded by nature, they are caught in the waters of warm seas, and cold-blooded (caught in cold seas). You can distinguish them from each other by eye - those that grew up in cold seas are much smaller in comparison with warm-water mollusks (only 5-7 cm versus 20-25 cm, respectively). Gourmets should know this, as it is commonly believed that cold-blooded shrimp have the most intense flavor compared to warm-blooded shrimp. Of course, everyone's tastes are different.

How many types of shrimp exist, so many ways to cook them, and even more in cooking. They can act as a self-sufficient dish that is grilled, steamed, fried or boiled, or they can be part of a complex culinary masterpiece. Shrimps are added to salads, hot, served as a side dish, tender soups are cooked from them. Shellfish go well with almost any fruit or vegetable, and they are also used to prepare very unusual sauces with exotic flavors.

Shrimps are a delicacy for those who follow the figure. They belong to the category of low-calorie diet foods. The proteins contained in them are more difficult for the human body to digest than those found in fish, but satiety comes faster and lasts longer.



Criterias of choice

Live shrimp can only be bought where they are caught. They are delivered to store shelves in our latitudes in fresh-frozen or boiled-frozen form. An indicator of the quality of seafood is the color of the clam head. The head darkens as it grows. Hence the conclusion: the darker the color of the head, the older the shrimp. You can also wrinkle it a little - the old mollusk is softer, since with age its body seems to shrink in the shell, decreases in size.

Do not take those shrimp that are covered with ice glaze, as it is impossible to determine exactly how many times they have been thawed and refrozen.

It is worthwhile to carefully study the packaging of the product when choosing. Seafood from European countries undergo strict selection and quality control there at its best. Asian manufacturers, on the other hand, cannot boast of this and often neglect the norms. Most of the complaints fall on Asian seafood.

Pay attention to the tails of the mollusks in the pack - they should be bent inward. If the clam is straight, it means that it died before it was frozen. If you come across shrimp with black heads, then throw them away without hesitation - these are sick clams. There is no need to be afraid of green heads - it happened because they fed on a special kind of plankton. This does not affect the taste.

The most delicious shrimp are those that are brown-gray when frozen, and pale pink when boiled. It is necessary to cook crustaceans with a peel to preserve the taste and benefits. These contain the most beneficial vitamins and minerals.


How to skillfully clean a shrimp

Eating shrimp correctly is a whole science. For convenient cleaning of the mollusk, you need to pinch its tail with your thumb and forefinger, start slightly rotating and twisting. As a result, the head should separate from the body. The shell is removed in the direction from the head to the tail.

When decorating the table, the ponytails are left in the shell. They are easy to remove by slightly pulling and pulling the tip of the shell.

A shallow cut is then made on the belly of the shrimp to remove the innards. It is performed on the outside of the mollusk. The most delicious pale pink meat should remain on the fork.

Note to housewives: do not throw shrimp skins into the trash - they make a delicious broth suitable for cooking soups and other seafood dishes.


How to eat shrimp

As you understand, you need to clean the mollusk with your hands. But eat it correctly with a fork. According to etiquette, on a well-served table, you will find a plate for peeled shells, and next to it - a bowl of lemon water for washing fingers (lemon water eliminates the smell of seafood from hands).

Fried shrimp are usually served without a head, but with tails. By the tail they need to be taken and dipped in the sauce. After biting off the part without the shell, put the rest on the edge of the plate.

Shrimp cocktail is appropriate to eat with a fork designed for dessert or oysters. The very shape of the plates in which the cocktail is served does not imply the use of a knife.

If the shrimp are already peeled (they are given the name cocktail) and served as an independent dish, then it is appropriate to eat them with a knife and fork.

Many gourmets have a question, is it possible to eat raw shrimp? Of course, no one will forbid you to take risks, but still you should not do it. If you dare to eat raw shellfish, then make sure that there is a toilet room nearby.

The risk of poisoning by eating raw seafood is very high. The lack of heat treatment of the product gives free rein to bacteria and microorganisms for reproduction.



What foods go with shrimp

Seafood pairs with just about anything in the fridge. It is shrimp that is appropriate to combine with fruits, the most beautiful, in terms of aesthetics, presentation comes out with them. They are especially good with exotic fruits for our area. For example, avocado or lemon or orange peel and shrimp are the perfect combination. Boiled vegetables, fresh cucumber or tomatoes are also good in seafood dishes.

In salad cocktails, crustaceans are combined with other types of seafood or fish. Salads are usually dressed with olive oil or sauces.

Shrimps are good in traditional Italian dishes - pizza and pasta. Often they are found in paella.

Shrimp can be served with any vegetable that has a mild flavor (cauliflower, asparagus, green peas, for example). The taste of seafood will become brighter and more refined if flavored with cumin or coriander.

Delicious and tender soups are cooked from mollusks, pate, soufflé are prepared. No less tasty are shrimp, which are simply fried in oil with the addition of garlic and herbs, hot peppers.

As an appetizer, shrimp are served with wines of different varieties. The exception is fortified varieties of the drink. And it’s simply impossible to invent a tastier snack for beer.

Shrimps are a very popular product, despite the fact that they are not caught in our latitudes. Useful and nutritious seafood is present not only on the festive table, but also as an everyday delicacy. The richness of minerals and vitamins in this product has made it one of the treats for those who are losing weight and just looking after themselves. A variety of cooking methods, exquisite taste, and relatively low cost have made shrimp a popular delicacy loved by many.

For information on how to properly clean shrimp, see the following video.

Shrimp is a healthy, and most importantly, vitamin-rich seafood. In their composition, they contain a huge amount of fatty acids (omega-6, omega-3), amino acids and vitamins (A, E, D, PP, B12). For humans, shrimp are useful for the content of such substances: sodium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, selenium, manganese, iodine and potassium - they are vital for the normal functioning of the body.

Distinctive advantages of this type of product:

Low calorie;

A large amount of nutrients;

Preventing the formation of blood clots in the vessels and their regeneration.

How to choose shrimp

For the right choice of shrimp, first of all, you need to know their varieties:

Warm-water (live in the seas of the Northern Hemisphere);

Cold-water (live in tropical seas).

Their differences are visible to the naked eye, the inhabitants of cold waters are much smaller in size (5-7 cm) than their counterparts from warm seas, they reach sizes up to 20-30 cm, which, by the way, is due to the high cost of the latter. However, many experts argue that the level of usefulness and palatability of cold-water shrimp is much higher. The best will be considered shrimp, the habitat of which was along the coastline of the North Atlantic, the coast of Brazil or the Baltic.

Refuse to purchase if:

Shrimps are in an ice crust or simply with a large amount of ice;

Shrimp meat is soft, slightly cloudy or yellowish - this indicates a considerable age of the shrimp. Choose only individuals with elastic soft pink meat;

The tail of the shrimp is bent. Such a sign immediately makes it clear that the death of the crustacean occurred even before the heat treatment procedure.

If you buy this type of seafood in a package, then pay attention to the information provided by the manufacturer (the place where it was caught, where it was produced and packaged, and most importantly when), as well as the numbers 60-90 or 90-120, they indicate the approximate number of shrimp in the package , respectively, the larger the number, the smaller the shrimp themselves.

How to cook shrimp

Shrimp are famous for their ease of preparation. Most often they are consumed boiled, for this you must first defrost the product, and then rinse in cold water. Plunge the desired amount of crustaceans into boiling salted water and cook until they float to the surface (3-5 minutes). The main thing in this matter is not to digest the product, otherwise the taste will suffer.

There are a lot of recipes for cooking shrimp, and here a lot depends on the options for serving the finished dish, whether it will be a salad, an appetizer, or maybe a soup. For example, you can fry shrimp.


The easiest option would be to pour (pre-thawed, washed and peeled) shrimp with lemon juice and sprinkle with herbs (dill, parsley, etc.). Let it marinate for half an hour, and then, in a preheated pan, fry in oil (3-5 minutes). There is a more complex recipe. Pour vegetable oil into a large frying pan and heat it up, put the shrimp there (you can not peel it) and fry slowly. In a deep bowl, mix 75-100 ml of beer, salt to taste, finely chopped garlic and seasoning, and then pour the resulting mixture into a pan and cover it with a lid. Let everything simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove the lid, evaporate the excess liquid, constantly stirring the dish, and serve to the table, you can sprinkle the finished dish with herbs to taste.

How to eat shrimp

If you were served shrimp as a snack, and not as one of the ingredients of the dish, then they should be eaten with your hands. To quickly get rid of the shell and not damage the meat, you need to do the following:

1. With one hand, take the shrimp by the head, while turning the carcass belly up.

2. Remove the paws (caviar may be in the paws, it is also edible like meat).

3. Tear off the head and pull off the shell by the tail.

How to properly and quickly peel shrimp

4. A soft pink piece of meat should remain in your hands, bon appetit!

When eating shrimp in its pure form, be sure to put on the table a deep container with water and lemon juice diluted in it. This liquid is necessary for rinsing hands while eating, lemon juice perfectly removes the smell of seafood.

Shrimp Salad Recipes

To date, there are more than one hundred salads with shrimp. The tender meat of these crustaceans goes well with most types of greens, vegetables and even fruits. Salad "Coral" (with shrimp and tomatoes), salad "Yolochka" (with shrimp and smoked meats), salad with shrimp and melon - this is just a small part of the huge number of salads, recipes for which can be found on the World Wide Web and they will be under the power of any hostess . We will focus on the most popular, in recent times, and the most delicious.

shrimp recipe for beer

We present to your attention, the recipe for Caesar salad with shrimp:

1. Fry defrosted, washed and peeled shrimp in olive oil.

2. Cut the loaf into cubes (approximately 2x5 cm) and also fry in olive oil.

3. We take lettuce leaves, wash them, let the water drain and cut them randomly.

4. Take tomatoes and cut into slices.

5. Serving salad.

6. Put chopped lettuce leaves, sprinkle with croutons, shrimp and tomato slices on top; then the next layer using the same technology (lettuce leaves, sprinkle with croutons, shrimp and tomato slices on top) and so on until the ingredients run out.

7 Sprinkle everything on top with finely grated cheese.

8. Prepare the sauce.

9.2 Art. Mix tablespoons of olive oil with mustard, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.

10. Salt and pepper the resulting mixture to taste.

11. Add 30 g of finely grated cheese and mix. The sauce is ready.

12. Pour dressing over salad or serve separately.

Bon appetit!
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Knowing what shrimp are combined with is necessary for every self-respecting hostess. If you know what to combine shrimp with, then your diet will be replenished with a large number of delicious dishes with these seafood.

What are shrimp combined with in various dishes

Salads. In salads, shrimp go well with exotic fruits, such as avocados, lemon or orange zest, as well as fresh (tomatoes, cucumbers) or boiled vegetables. You can put fish and other marine life in a salad of crustacean seafood. You can season the salad with vegetable oil, preferably olive, or sauce (tomato, garlic, sour cream or soy).

Italian cuisine. Pizza toppings rarely do without shrimp, shrimp pasta has an inimitable taste, and Italian chefs often cook paella with them.

Shrimps with garnish. Shrimp can be served with any mild-tasting vegetables, such as cauliflower or asparagus, as well as baby green peas or simply boiled rice. Don't forget the seasonings (cumin or coriander will perfectly complement the taste of the shrimp).

Other dishes. Shrimp makes delicious soups (in shrimp broth), pâtés and soufflés. Many gourmets prefer to eat fried shrimp, they are cooked in a special sauce with garlic, parsley and hot peppers.

Guilt. Shrimp appetizers are suitable for chilled semi-dry, dry or semi-sweet wines (i.e. almost all wines except fortified varieties). Often they are served as an appetizer for beer.

Shrimp match with many culinary ingredients. Appetizers and salads with them can be served hot or cold. Shrimps are considered a low-calorie dietary product that is part of many diets. Shrimps are very nutritious, rich in protein and other trace elements, so they quickly gained popularity all over the world and, in particular, in our country.



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