How to Peel and Devein Shrimp
By peeling and deveining shrimp you are removing all parts of this tasty crustacean that are inedible and prepping them for a myriad of easy recipes. Many fishmongers and markets that sell fresh shrimp give you the option of buying whole shrimp, or already cleaned and peeled shrimp. Many authentic ethnic recipes, including many Spanish, Italian and African recipes, call for shrimp that have their heads. In many Asian recipes, as well, the heads of shrimp are regarded as a delicacy and, some say, the best part of the shellfish. Therefore, it is important to know how to take whole shrimp home and be able to clean them yourself if you are interested in cooking them this way. Also, in most markets, shrimp that have not been peeled and cleaned are a bit cheaper, so you can save money doing some of the work yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Prepare two bowls of ice--one with the pre-peeled shrimp, and one where you can place the shrimp once they're peeled.
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Hold a shrimp with both hands, belly up with the shell facing away from you. With your thumb, dig underneath the shell gently at the top where the head ends.
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Ease your thumb in further and the shell should start to come away from the body. Follow the shell around to the other side and pull it away gently, making sure not to damage the meat below the shell. Continue this, going down the body until you reach the tail.
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Leave the tail on for looks, or remove it by prying it away in the same manner. It will not affect the taste of the shrimp, either way.
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Have both ice-bowls ready again, one with the peeled shrimp before deveining, and one for after. Start, again, by holding the shrimp belly up.
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Look for the small, dark line that runs up the belly from the tail to the head. With a paring knife, start a shallow incision from the tail and follow the black line up to the head.
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Dig gently into the incision with the tip of the paring knife and pull out the black line. This is the shrimp's digestive tract. If left in, it would impart a bitter taste to the shrimp. Once a bit of the tract is exposed, hook your finger underneath it and gently tug the rest out. You may need to use the tip of your paring knife again, but the vein should come out with relative ease.
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Discard the vein and place the shrimp in the ice.
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Tips & Warnings
Save and freeze the shrimp peels. They are great for making seafood stock.
