The Easiest Way to Cook a Whole Bunch of Shrimp
Seafood has a reputation for being finicky, easily digestible, and expensive, but that’s only partly true when it comes to shrimp. A bag of frozen shrimp is relatively economical, easy to prepare, and quick to prepare. But what is the best way to do this? I really wanted to sauté the shrimp ( with french fries ) for a minute, but now I’m completely ready to fry .
Because they cook so quickly under direct, high heat, fried shrimp are plump and juicy, with a subtle, delicious click in about five minutes. Season the shrimp to your liking, arrange them in a single layer in a large skillet, and cook under the grill for 3-5 minutes. Pair with carbohydrates and/or vegetables and dinner is served.
You can fry shell shrimp, peeled shrimp, large shrimp, small shrimp, any kind of shrimp. If you’re working with frozen shrimp, place them under cold water to thaw, or make it even faster by taking a (perfectly safe) hot water bath . I like to prepare a thaw bath right in the salad bowl , then drain the water and swirl the shrimp to prepare them for seasoning. (You can also just pat them dry with paper towels.)
The seasoning is completely up to you. I like to use this dish as an excuse to dig into my spice drawer looking for concoctions I may have forgotten about, but any of these spices will do just fine. (Be careful with the salt, as the shrimp comes from the sea, a place known for its natural saltiness.) Turn on the broiler, rub your choice of seasoning over all the shrimp, then roast on the top rack for 1 to 2 minutes. on each side until the shrimp is opaque. If you’re not sure if it’s ready, take one out and cut it open to check.
If you have a very hot one-set roaster and are afraid of overcooking the shrimp, lower the rack one slot until you improve the time. This may increase the cooking time by a minute or two, but it wasn’t that long to begin with.