Problem for a long time was that I didn't know how to cook raw shrimp. I was scared of it. Intimidated by the deveining, worried I wouldn't cook it long enough. I avoided dealing with raw shrimp at all cost, thus relegating me to only enjoying it at the occasional restaurant outing.
That all changed this summer when I went to South Carolina to visit my sister. I asked her to show me how to clean and devein shrimp. Being a teacher, she, of course, took my request very seriously.
After my Shrimp 101 course, I came back home and we started eating shrimp fairly regularly. Both of my daughters love it. We even created a new tradition: Friday Night Shrimp Night.
One of the reasons Friday night works as shrimp night is because by the end of the week, I'm really not interested in laboring too long over dinner. Shrimp cooks really quickly!
Awhile back I started searching for a variety of ways to prepare shrimp. Today I'm going to share with you my three favorite recipes.
But first, if you're at all intimidated about working with raw shrimp (like I was), click here to watch a video demonstrating how to clean and devein raw shrimp. Trust me, it's EASY.
Without further ado, my favorite shrimp recipes.
Fried Shrimp (gluten free and casein free)
1 egg, mixed with a little bit of rice milk (or your preferred milk substitute)
1/2 cup of GF coating mix (recipe follow)
1 lb of peeled, deveined shrimp (I only buy wild-caught American shrimp)
Canola oil
Dip shrimp in egg/milk mixture, then toss in coating mix until evenly coated.
Heat canola oil in pan. When it's hot, place shrimp in pan. Shrimp cooks very quickly. You will probably only need to fry it about 3 minutes per side. You can tell it's done when the shrimp is opaque in appearance, not shiny and translucent.Remove from pan to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately.
After much online searching and quite a few trial and fail attempts at making a good gluten free breading, I finally found the perfect one. Trust me when I say, look no further. This is the best recipe for breading chicken, shrimp or fish. Just perfect.
GFCF Coating Mix (works great on chicken, shrimp and fish)
This recipe comes courtesy of Erin at M.A.G. - Adventures in ASD and GFCF Living.
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 cup crushed rice cereal
1/2 cup potato flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder (or more to taste)
Sift all ingredients until well blended. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use quickly or store in the refrigerator for longer shelf life.
Baked Shrimp Scampi
The original recipe can be found at allrecipes.com (my go-to online recipe site). I made a few modifications, including making it dairy-free.
1/2 cup dairy free butter (I use Earth Balance)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1-2 lbs peeled, deveined raw shrimp
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine everything but the shrimp in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.
When butter is melted completely, remove from heat.
Place shrimp in a shallow baking dish, and pour butter mixture over top.
Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until shrimp are pink and opaque.
I serve this over spaghetti and with a vegetable. The butter mixture makes a great sauce over pasta.
Lastly, my most favorite of ways to make shrimp: marinated and grilled! This recipe comes directly from allrecipes.com with zero changes to it. It is naturally free of gluten and casein.
Marinated Grilled Shrimp
3 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 lbs peeled and deveined raw shrimp
Mix all the ingredients, except the shrimp, in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and marinate (in the fridge) for at least an hour. I have found the longer you marinate the better with this recipe.
Skewer shrimp and cook on preheated, lightly oiled grill. I haven't timed it, but it takes about 3 minutes per side for the shrimp to be cooked thoroughly. Remember, you know it's done when it's opaque.I served this several times over the summer with a big salad and corn on the cob. I think we had it 3 Fridays in a row it was so good.
If you have a favorite shrimp recipe, do share! Leave a comment or write a guest post. See sidebar for details.
These sound delicious! I think I'll try the marinated grilled shrimp first. Mmmm...
ReplyDeleteThese all sound great. Here's my go-to Shrimp recipe . . .
ReplyDeleteBAKED SHRIMP WITH FETA CHEESE
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups diced plum tomato (about 3/4 pound)—you can use canned, diced tomates, drain well
3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely crumbled feta cheese
4 cups hot cooked linguine (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oregano and the next 4 ingredients (oregano through garlic); sauté for 3 minutes. Spoon the shrimp mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Add wine to skillet; cook over low heat until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 3 minutes). Stir in tomato, and pour over the shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Serve mixture over pasta, and sprinkle with parsley.