Shrimp: Buying, Storing, and Cooking It Right

Shrimp sells by count per pound, and the number is the portion: 16/20 means 16 to 20 shrimp per pound, the standard dinner size. U15 and under are the big ones for the grill, 41/50 are small and best in pasta and stir fries. Peeled and deveined saves 10 minutes and costs more; shell-on carries more flavor into stocks and protects the meat on high heat.

Most raw shrimp at the fish counter was frozen and thawed by the store, which is why buying it still frozen and thawing it yourself is the fresher, cheaper move. Frozen at sea shrimp can be better than fresh on ice for a day.

Look for Firm, translucent flesh with no blackening around the head end or legs, which is melanolysis, early spoilage. It should smell like clean seawater, never like ammonia, and ammonia is a leave-it-at-the-counter signal regardless of the date. IQF, individually quick frozen, bags let you use a handful at a time.

Shell-on is more flavor and more work; wild-caught US shrimp and certified farmed shrimp both rate well for sustainability, and the label on the bag tells you which you are holding.

Raw shrimp keeps only 1 to 2 days in the coldest part of the fridge, on ice if you can manage it. Cooked shrimp keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated. Frozen shrimp holds quality 6 to 12 months, and you can refreeze it only after cooking it first.

Thaw frozen shrimp in the fridge overnight, or in a sealed bag under cold running water for 15 to 20 minutes, which is fast enough for weeknights. Never thaw shrimp in warm water or on the counter, the outer layer goes bacteria-warm long before the center thaws.

Peel under cold running water, it rinses the shell fragments away, and devein with a toothpick or a small knife slit; the vein is the digestive tract, gritty in large shrimp, negligible in small ones, so deveining big shrimp is texture, small shrimp is optional. Pat them dry before cooking or they steam instead of sear.

Doneness is visual: shrimp turn opaque and pink and curl into a loose C shape in 2 to 4 minutes depending on size. The FDA temperature is 145 F (63 C), and the curl cue matches it. A tight O shape means overcooked, rubbery, and past it, pull them the moment the gray goes. Marinate briefly, acid cooks shrimp like ceviche, so a lime-heavy marinade past 30 minutes turns the surface chalky.

• Scallops: similar quick-cook sweetness, sear hard for 90 seconds a side, swap one to one by weight in pastas and stir fries.
• Firm white fish like cod: different shape, same 145 F target, and it works in the same garlic and tomato preparations, flaking instead of bouncing.
• Hearts of palm or king oyster mushrooms: for a plant based stand-in in scampi and po' boy style dishes, they carry garlic butter well, texture is tender rather than snappy.