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Boiled Shrimp: Hot Water or Cold Water? Common Mistakes Lead to Flavorless or Fishy Taste

Boiled shrimp is always a favorite dish among many people. To prevent the shrimp from being bland, fishy, and soggy, you can apply the following simple tips.

Administrator

19 March, 2024

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Boiled shrimp is always a favorite dish for many people because it retains the original flavor of the shrimp. Moreover, it is also a very easy dish to prepare. To prevent the shrimp from being bland and fishy, you can apply the following tips.

Tips for delicious, non-bland, and non-fishy boiled shrimp

+ Choose good shrimp

To have delicious boiled shrimp, you need good ingredients. When buying shrimp, look at the shell. Fresh and good-quality shrimp often have a whitish green shell, while male shrimp have a light yellow color. The shell of the shrimp should be shiny and firm. The head and legs of the shrimp should be firmly attached to the body.

When buying frozen shrimp, you should choose ones with a curved shape as they are still alive before freezing. Shrimp that is no longer fresh and is frozen usually has a straight shape as they have lost their strength, causing the body to stretch out.

Add a little salt and white wine when boiling shrimp to make it even tastier

+ Prepare the shrimp

When you bring the shrimp home, clean them with water and remove the black thread inside. You can use scissors to cut off some of the shrimp’s whiskers, but do not peel off the shell, head, and tail of the shrimp. Keeping the shrimp intact like this will help retain more nutrients, and the shape of the shrimp will also be visually appealing.

Add a spoonful of salt to a bowl of water and soak the shrimp for a while to clean them completely. Then, take the shrimp out and rinse them with clean water.

+ Boil the shrimp

Add a few slices of ginger, a few pieces of lemongrass, crushed and cleaned, and washed scallion into the pot of boiling water. When the water starts to heat up and bubbles appear at the bottom but it is not fully boiling yet, add the shrimp. Then, add a little salt and white wine and cook for about 2-3 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp). The wine will help to eliminate the fishy smell and make the shrimp turn a beautiful red color.

If you use cold water, it will increase the cooking time and decrease the sweetness and nutritional value of the shrimp. If you boil the water first before adding the shrimp, it will cause the shrimp to shrink quickly, making the taste less delicious.

Many people suggest that after boiling the shrimp, you can put them in a bowl of ice water to make them firm and the meat more delicious. However, with seafood, we usually eat it hot to avoid it becoming fishy. Therefore, there is no need to soak the shrimp in ice water before eating.

Tip: If you are worried about the shrimp being bland, you can also choose not to put the shrimp directly into the water. At this time, line the bottom of the pot with cut lemongrass, ginger slices. Then, place the cleaned shrimp on top. Add 1-2 tablespoons of whole coffee beans and 30ml of white wine. Cover the pot and boil the shrimp for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

When the shrimp curls up and the whole shell turns pink, uncover the pot and reduce the heat. Let the wine evaporate for about 2 minutes, then it is ready to enjoy.

Boiled shrimp done this way is delicious and not fishy

How to make dipping sauce for boiled shrimp, tasty and easy to make

+ Ingredients

– Ginger: 1 piece;

– Scallion: 100g;

– Cooking oil: 1 tablespoon;

– Soy sauce: 5 tablespoons;

– Sugar: 15g;

– Vinegar: 1 tablespoon

+ Utensils: stove, spoon, pan,…

+ Preparation

– Prepare the ingredients

Gently scrape off the ginger skin with a spoon. Using a spoon is the best way to easily and quickly scrape off the ginger skin without wasting any ginger. Cut into small pieces, then mince. Wash the scallion and cut it into pieces about 1.5 – 2cm long.

– Make the dipping sauce

Add cooking oil and soy sauce to the pan and bring to a boil. Continue to add ginger and stir for 2 – 3 minutes. Finally, add the scallions, taste and add sugar to your liking.

– Finished product

This method is extremely simple, in just a few minutes, we have a delicious and standard boiled shrimp dipping sauce: spicy, fragrant ginger, and eye-catching color of the scallions. If you want it spicier, you can also add chili peppers.

Frequently asked questions

When buying shrimp, look for fresh, good-quality shrimp with whitish-green shells; male shrimp will have a light yellow color. The shrimp should be firm with attached heads and legs. Choose frozen shrimp with a curved shape, indicating they were alive before freezing. When preparing, clean and remove the black thread, trim whiskers, and soak in salted water before boiling.

To enhance the flavor and reduce any fishy smell, add a few slices of ginger, crushed and cleaned lemongrass, scallion, a pinch of salt, and a splash of white wine to the boiling water. This combination will infuse the shrimp with flavor and give it a beautiful red color.

No, with seafood, it is generally preferable to serve it hot to avoid any fishy taste. Soaking shrimp in ice water is not necessary and may affect the taste and texture.

Besides using fresh, good-quality shrimp, you can add flavor by boiling it with ginger, lemongrass, scallion, salt, and white wine. Additionally, you can try this tip: line the bottom of the pot with cut lemongrass and ginger slices, then place the cleaned shrimp on top. Add coffee beans, white wine, and boil over medium heat for a unique and tasty shrimp dish.

For a quick and delicious dipping sauce, you’ll need ginger, scallion, cooking oil, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Scrape and mince the ginger, cut the scallion into small pieces, and then add cooking oil and soy sauce to a pan. Bring to a boil, add the ginger, stir, and finally, add the scallions. Taste and adjust with sugar to your preference.