Perfectly Grilled Shrimp

The secret to perfect grilled shrimp that would put a top restaurant to shame is in the preparation. Since shrimp shouldn’t be overcooked, a lot of the magic happens before the shrimp even goes on the grill. In this guide I’ll show you just how to put together perfectly grilled shrimp with very little fuss.

Deveining Shrimp

Should you devein shrimp? It really depends. When you remove the vein, you are actually removing the shrimp’s stomach and any filth it may have picked up. However, if your shrimp was farmed in safe waters, deveining is usually not necessary and the veins are edible (don’t be squeamish!). If you want to stay on the safe side, especially for big shrimp where the vein may affect the flavor, use a paring knife to make a slit above the vein and use a toothpick to pick it out. You don’t want to risk using the knife to pick out the vein as people have had far too many accidents that way, and it takes practice.

Shrimp Smells

Shrimp can smell bad, but it doesn’t mean it has gone bad. Freezing can cause the plankton on the shrimp to emit iodine and that can cause the odor. To remove the odor, soak the shrimp in a mixture of 2 tablespoons of baking soda per 1 quart of water for 10 minutes. Rinse the shrimp in cold water, and you’ll have fresh smelling shrimp.

If you do buy shrimp from the supermarket, go for the shrimp that has been flash frozen and not defrosted, to ensure freshness. Sometimes the shrimp on display has just been defrosted to give the appearance of freshness, and you don’t want it

Grill Time

Shrimp has to be cooked quickly. The smaller the shrimp, the faster it should cook. Once the shrimp shells turns completely red, you should already be removing the shrimp from the fire within minutes. Serve immediately.

Don’t Come The Raw Prawn With Me, Mate

That’s an Australian saying that means ‘don’t pull my leg.’ Have any grill stories to share? Got any tips for other readers? Leave a comment below.