Frozen Shrimp Help!!
Wanting to make paella tonight, I bought some shrimp, but the grocery store only had frozen. I'm in Spain, so I didn't think much of it, but after taking it home, I can't tell what to do with it. It is definitely peeled, but not deveined. It's pink, but the entire label is in Spanish, and the only thing I can decipher is "peeled shrimp" (It's also basically the only thing on there, besides the nutrition facts and packaging address.) Since it's pink, I'd think it was pre-cooked, but if it was, it would be deveined, wouldn't it? Also I hate pre-cooked shrimp. Should I risk throwing it in the paella, even if it is? Should I just thaw it and add it separately, not cooking it? Would it be disastrous if I did cook it and it was already pre-cooked? If anybody has any ideas I'd appreciate it...I wouldn't use it, but the package is already open, and it cost a pretty penny. Thanks!!
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10 Comments:
Ummm...isn't there any body there you can ask who may speak Spanish?
bessfour at 1:48PM on 05/23/09
I wouldn't cook it any further. See if you can pick the veins out, but don't stress about it. Put it in at the last minute, just long enough to heat it through.
Caution: I've never actually made paella
gentlyferal at 2:01PM on 05/23/09
Translate here:
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/
Not all frozen shrimp, raw or cooked, is deveined.
Not all pink shrimp is cooked.
Take a shrimp & run it under cold water until it's thawed. Cut it in half. Does it have the texture of cooked or raw shrimp?
When I make paella, I find that the shrimp is usually slow to cook, so I think using pre-cooked shrimp wouldn't be entirely bad (though obviously it won't absorb much of the flavor of the paella, nor will it add much flavor to the paella). If your shrimp it cooked, I'd add it toward the very end--maybe with 5 or 8 minutes left to cook--so it's heated, but not overcooked.
chgoeditor at 2:20PM on 05/23/09
@bessfour - No. Plus, there are no directions on the package, I translated all there was.
So I thawed and deveined them, and they're not really transparent, but I'm ALMOST confident they're raw - they feel like they might be. Still, strange, I've never seen pink shrimp in the Mediterranean!
embolini9 at 4:01PM on 05/23/09
There is a quick and easy way to find out if thawed shrimp has been cooked. Take a bite out of one. Raw shrimp taste good, but nearly so good as they are cooked.
Grumpy Old Man at 5:39PM on 05/23/09
As long as you're cooking them, there's no reason to devein them other than personal preference. It won't hurt you.
thepictsie at 7:07PM on 05/23/09
Add it in the last 3 mins before you serve to warm it thru and yes taste it first before you do.
JerzeeTomato at 7:52PM on 05/23/09
I'm with JerzeeTomato. It sounds like they are ready for the Paella pan.
I would poach one in water separately first, just to make sure you are pleased with the flavor, before adding to the paella, though.
If you are pleased with the poached shrimp, add it to the Paella during the last several minutes.
Enjoy!
~ Paula
Paula Maack at 10:42PM on 05/23/09
Tips:
If you're in Spain, learn more Spanish.
If you're a foodie in Spain, learn more Spanish with an emphasis on food-related terms.
Then, ask more questions, like:
Camaron fresco, por favor?
They're fresh. They need some treatment, per your choice. Maybe deveining. Since they're fresh, yes, they need cooking.
Not too hard.
mince at 4:52AM on 05/24/09
And no, I think it'd be fine to use with the above cooking recs. I hope it worked out perfectly for you, but I've wondered why you posted this while the bag was already open.
I'd be a lot more worried about an open bag of shrimp sitting around for an hour (before your first response), than I would be about veins, etc. The information you're seeking is available within seconds all over the intertubes. Why you'd risk all of this here is beyond me, but hey, welcome! :)
mince at 4:57AM on 05/24/09