Succulent Peel and Eat Shrimp

Mise en place.

Before we get Cookin, let’s talk about what we need to make this recipe. First up is shrimp, specifically what size to buy. You’ll need 16/20 shrimp (extra jumbo) for this recipe. That means there are approximately 16-20 shrimp per pound. The smaller the number the smaller the shrimp and the bigger.. you get the idea. Some supermarkets sell them only as large or extra large, which is confusing and sometimes not accurate at all. The Spruce Eats has a great article that lists all the sizes of shrimp. Trust me, it’s so much easier knowing the count.

The rest of the ingredients for these Succulent Peel and Eat Shrimp are :

• Butter, Unsalted is best. You always want to try and be the one that controls the amount of salt in your dishes.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The oil rounds out the butter and complements the orange notes.
• Orange and lime juice, plus the zest. The zest just builds on the citrus flavor, takes it up a notch.
• Old Bay Seasoning. A little of old bay on all seafood should just be a general rule.
• Aromatics – Garlic and Onion. The basis of flavor 😉
• Parsley. Fresh herbs are always a good idea. They bring a freshness to any recipe.
• Salt and Pepper.. Flavor enhancers

Let’s make Succulent Peel and Eat Shrimp!

This recipe is super easy. Perfect for weeknight dinners or impromptu guests that show up out of nowhere. You know the kind, family that stop by with little warning and still expect you to feed them because let’s face it that’s who you are. Always the hostess 😉 anywayz so back to this recipe. You only need one pan for this. Season the shrimp with some Old Bay. Then the Garlic and onions get sautéed in butter and olive oil over medium heat, along with some of the Old Bay. Doing this blooms the spices and wakes it up, gets it ready for the shrimp. We then add the shrimp and the juice. This only takes a few minutes to cook. At the end we hit it with all that glorious zest and herbs. Any chance you get to enhance the flavors in a dish do it. For this recipe zest and fresh herbs were they way to go.

Now we are ready to cook! Don’t forget to have plenty of paper towels on hand plus some crusty bread or Tostones to help you sop up all the juicy goodness.

Not making it today, Prep it.

You might not think that there is much you can prep ahead for these Succulent Peel and Eat Shrimp and you’re half right… there isn’t much. But the smallest things can make a huge impact, especially during the week when things tend to get hectic. Here are a few tips that help me out:

• Shrimp- buy it deveined. Most supermarkets already sell it this way, peel on and deveined. Some fish markets sell it this way too but if they don’t then do it yourself days in advance. Use scissors to help you and when you’re done, store(ziplock) and freeze the shrimp. no need to thaw for this recipe. cooking time will increase by a few minutes though.
• Citrus- Juice and zest your citrus when you come home from the market. Zest keeps really well in the freezer by the way. I use Saran Wrap to wrap it in.
• Wash and store your herbs the minute you get them. If it’s ready to be used, you will be more motivated to use it.

The less you have to do the greater the chance that you’ll cook.. amirite?? 😉

original post published 08/03/20