The Biggest Mistake You're Probably Making When Cooking Shrimp

Certain cooks love throwing around the term "fresh ingredients" like it's some kind of flex, but shrimp is something best bought from the freezer case. (Fresh fish, or seafood in general, isn't always better than frozen.) It's almost guaranteed that the non-frozen shrimp you see at the fish counter were flash-frozen when caught, which means they've since been thawed and may have started to deteriorate a bit. Even food professionals like Ashley Lonsdale, ButcherBox chef-in-residence, endorse frozen shrimp. As she told The Takeout, "I love to keep wild-caught gulf shrimp in my freezer because it's so easy to pull out for a quick and delicious dinner." Lonsdale did note, however, that "The crucial step is to season them once they're defrosted."

As to why it would be a mistake not to season the shrimp, unseasoned food lacks a certain je ne sais quoi. (Some might call it flavor.) Still, as Lonsdale explained, you can't really spice up your shrimp when they're covered in ice crystals, so don't even try. "If shrimp are frozen," she said, "salt and pepper will not stick to the flesh." This means you'll need to defrost them first unless you're poaching them. In the latter case, you can simply add the seasonings to the cooking liquid.

While the best way to thaw frozen shrimp may be to allow them to come up to temperature gradually in the refrigerator overnight, you might not have time to do this if you're making dinner in a hurry. Luckily, there's another method that's a lot quicker: dropping them into a bowl of cold water. It's best to do so in the sink, as you'll need to empty the water and change it out fairly often. Once the shrimp are pliable, pat them down with a paper towel to dry them off before cooking. According to Ashley Lonsdale, it may take as little as 10 minutes to thaw shrimp in cold water, depending on the quantity and size.

If you're planning to sauté your shrimp, Lonsdale pointed out, "Moisture is the enemy of golden-brown edges." She went on to clarify, "If shrimp are not fully thawed and dried, it will be challenging to develop a deep color and seared flavor." Not only does she advise starting with a hot pan and some cooking fat (her personal preference is olive oil), but she also noted that the shrimp must be very dry before you begin sautéing them. Deep frying, too, requires dry shrimp, since otherwise the breading or batter may not stick.

There are a few cooking methods that allow you to skip the whole thawing step and cook shrimp straight from frozen. One of them is poaching, which Ashley Lonsdale calls "a delicious option." They can either be poached in water (seasoned, as noted above) or in some other cooking liquid such as the coconut milk Lonsdale likes to use. She advised, however, that when you're poaching frozen shrimp, you may need to allow a little extra cooking time. She also said you should keep the heat low so they don't overcook and become tough or rubbery.

Another fast and easy way to cook frozen shrimp involves an oven shortcut. The shrimp are quickly rinsed off, separated, and laid out on a baking sheet. They're then popped under the broiler, where they'll be done in a few minutes. While seasonings may not stick to the unthawed shrimp, as per Lonsdale's warning, you can always season them after they're cooked or immerse them in a flavorful sauce.