Shrimp Order of Operations

June 19, 2018 8:15 AM

I'm making shrimp empanadas with whole shrimp (head on). The shrimp will ultimately be chopped into pieces with a sofrito (onions, celery, tomato, garlic) for the filling. I'm blanking on the order of operations for peeling, deveining, cooking, chopping for max flavor.

These are my two proposed order of operations.
A. 1) peel and remove heads, make stock and reduce, 2) devein, 3) chop the shrimp, and 4) cook in the sofrito with the stock. OR, should I do B. 1) cook whole in the sofrito, 2) peel and decapitate, 3) devein, 4) chop, and 5) return to sofrito.

Option A is my preference because it's easier and less messy but I know that it is recommended to cook shrimp whole in the shell (which I would do if I were serving them whole). To maximize my flavor, what would you do?

posted by perrouno to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

I would do option 1. You'll get more concentrated flavor from reducing the stock.
posted by quince at 8:18 AM on June 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Yum! I would keep cooking the shrimp meat itself to a minimum so it doesn't ultimately overcook once the empanadas get fried/baked/whatever you're doing. So I'd go with A, with an additional step:

Peel and remove heads, toss in oil and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and broil shells until things smell incredible, then make stock and reduce. That should make a super intense shrimp stock with a rich roasted flavor to back up the sweetness.
posted by Mizu at 8:23 AM on June 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Mizu: I don't have access to an oven for this step (the filling). Otherwise I would totally roast the heads before making the stock. Do you think it's worth it to saute the heads in olive oil before tossing them in the water with the shells instead?
posted by perrouno at 8:34 AM on June 19, 2018

Me, I always devein first, no matter what I'm making with the shrimp. Because that "vein" is filled with shrimp poop, and I don't care to season my food with shrimp poop.
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:41 AM on June 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

Do you think it's worth it to saute the heads in olive oil before tossing them in the water with the shells instead?

Absolutely, just don't overdo it on the oil.
posted by briank at 8:43 AM on June 19, 2018

Best answer: Are you really going to be using much stock? Seems like you wouldn't want your empanada filling to be too wet. One thing you could do is use the shells to flavor the oil rather than make stock. About five minute of cooking the shells will make the oil pretty shrimpy. Then you strain the shells out and make your sofrito with shrimp oil.

Another thing I've been doing with shrimp lately (thanks, Serious Eats!): toss them in salt and a pinch of baking soda and let them sit for 20 minutes or so. The baking soda makes the texture snappier.
posted by neroli at 9:04 AM on June 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks all. I went with option A and sauteed the heads. (neroli, I'll use some stock here and save the rest. Yes, the Serious Method is the best for grilled shrimp).
posted by perrouno at 9:18 AM on June 19, 2018

Grew up eating shrimp, operation 1 would be my take. Easier (heads not hot/soggy), less steps, flavor will be just fine.
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:33 AM on June 20, 2018