Food Of Vietnam      FOODOFVIETNAM.COM   

Read in Vietnamese - Bằng Tiếng Việt (Việt ngữ)

Home page	Restaurant Search	Vietnamese Recipe Search	Custom Search   Visit XUVN.COM for More Insight of Vietnam  Diet & Fitness Food to Enhance Look Fitness Activities Guide Vietnamese Art Vietnamese Music Vietnamese Clothing
Grocery search	History of Vietnamese Food	Vietnamese Food Calories
As Health Food	Ingredients & Nutrition	Popular Dish Nutrition
Restaurant Menu	Asian Grocery Online	Vietnam Travel Guide
Vietnamese Cuisine	Cooking Utensil  Cooking tips	Eat & Travel in Vietnam
Vietnamese Culture	Vietnam Towns in America	Asian Communities in America

How to cook Shrimp

Check for Freshness

• Fresh shrimp should smell clean, refrain from shrimp that smells of ammonia.
• At the fish market, fresh shrimp should be stored in or on ice.
• If you purchase frozen shrimp, avoid shrimp that was peeled and deveined prior to freezing. The practice of cleaning the shrimp before freezing may cause a loss of flavor and texture.
• Be aware of leakage or frozen surface ice on frozen shrimp. These are signs that the shrimp has been defrosted and refrozen and should be avoided.
• Tip: If your palate is sensitive to iodine, avoid brown shrimp. The taste of the naturally occurring iodine is most often apparent in brown shrimp.
  

Preparing Shrimp

• "Refresh" frozen shrimp by soaking in salted water, 1 to 2 tbsp of salt to 1 quart of water.
• The best way to keep shrimp fresh while preparing them is to keep them in ice water. Return the cleaned shrimp to the ice water until you are ready to cook them. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel before cooking.
• Leave the shell on while boiling or steaming shrimp. The shell preserves the juices and natural flavors.
• The black vein that runs along the back of shrimp is the digestive tract. Typically, whether veins are in or out, seldom is there a flavor difference unless the vein is large and contains a high volume of grit and digested material. It is removed more for the appearance than taste. The decision to remove the digestive tract is based on personal preference. 
  

Prepping shrimp can be as simple as rinsing them in fresh water. If the recipe calls for removing the head, gently pull of the head and discard. Most often, shrimp is purchased with the head already removed.
To remove the shell, begin by holding the shrimp firmly and pulling off the legs.
An alternative technique is to remove the legs at the same time the shell is removed. Using your thumbs, peel back the sides of the shrimps shell. Pluck away any legs that remain after the shell has been removed.
Peel the shell away from the body. The tail of the shrimp can be removed at the same time by simply holding the body of the shrimp and pulling away the tail. The shell will come off with the tail. Removing the tail is optional.
To devein the shrimp with a small utility knife, make a shallow cut down the back of the shrimp to expose the vein.
Once the vein is exposed, pull the intestine out with the knife, a toothpick, or your fingers.
It is not necessary to remove the shell prior to using a deveining tool. Insert the deveining tool under the shell and make a shallow cut following the curve of the knife. As the knife is pushed from the head to the tail of the shrimp, the vein will adhere to the serrated area of the knife while the sharp upper edge cuts the shell.

Storing Shrimp

• Fresh shrimp that has not been cooked is very perishable. Shrimp should be used within two days of purchase to ensure optimal taste.
• Store fresh shrimp that will not be cooked immediately in the coolest area of the refrigerator, preferably on ice and covered with waxed paper. The waxed paper allows air to circulate around the shrimp.
• Cooked shrimp that is stored in the refrigerator should be eaten within 2-3 days.
• Frozen shrimp, if packaged tightly, will last up to six months in most household freezers.
• Shrimp that has been frozen tends to lose texture.
• Once defrosted, shrimp should be kept refrigerated and used within three days.
• Once defrosted, do not refreeze shrimp. 

How to deep-fry Shrimp

1. Shell shrimp; devein and take the tails off if you like. 
2. Beat eggs in a bowl.
3. Dip shrimp into flour and shake gently to remove excess.
4. Dip shrimp into eggs.
5. Dip shrimp into bread crumbs. Make sure the crumbs stick to the shrimp by patting them on with your fingers.
6. Place on a rack.
7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour if you have time.
8. Pour 2 inches salad oil into a deep-frying pan or deep-fat fryer.
9. Heat oil until it reaches 375 degrees F. Test with a deep-frying thermometer.
10. Place a few shrimp at a time in hot oil.
11. Cook about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the coating has turned golden brown and the shrimp are opaque inside.
12. Use tongs to remove shrimp from oil.
13. Allow to drain on paper towels.
14. Sprinkle salt over shrimp to taste.
15. Serve with lemon wedges or dipping sauce.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have a deep-frying thermometer, drop a piece of batter into the oil. If it sinks halfway and then quickly rises to the top and bubbles, the oil is ready. (If you're a novice fryer, though, it's best to invest in a thermometer. Accurate temperature control is the most important element of deep-fat frying.)
• Try to remove bits of batter from the oil with a small wire strainer as you cook.
• Make your own bread crumbs (infinitely better than purchased ones) by processing a slice or two of white bread in a food processor.
• Take care when using hot oil.
  
  

How to Pan-Fry Shrimp

1. Thaw the shrimp if they are frozen.
2. Shell and devein the shrimp. You can do this while they're still partially frozen.
3. When ready to cook, heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add oil when the pan is hot.
5. Add garlic, if you're using it, and sauté for 30 seconds.
6. Add the shrimp, season with salt, and cook, stirring constantly.
7. When the shrimp turn pink, remove one and test for doneness by cutting it in half. If the shrimp are opaque throughout and no longer translucent, they're done.
8. Remove from heat as soon as the shrimp are cooked.
   

Tips & Warnings

• Shrimp will overcook and turn tough very quickly, so limit the amount of time they spend cooking and check them frequently.
• Buy shrimp frozen if possible. Almost all shrimp are frozen as soon as they're processed, so be wary of thawed shrimp.

How to boil Shrimp

1. Shell and devein the shrimp before cooking, if you like 
2. To cook a pound of shrimp, bring two quarts of water to a boil.
3. Salt the water lightly. You can also add some lemon juice, if desired.
4. Shut off the heat and pour the shrimp in the water all at once.
5. Let them steep about 3 to 5 minutes, or until done. Shrimp are best when cooked gently.
6. Check by cutting one in half. If its flesh is opaque throughout, it's done.
7. Remove them from the cooking water immediately.
   

Tips & Warnings

• Quickly boiling or poaching shrimp is the most common method, but shrimp can be cooked virtually any way: in a skillet with butter or oil, in a fryer, on a barbecue grill, in a steamer, or in a hot oven.
• Shrimp overcook quickly and become very tough. Medium shrimp (2 or 3 inches long) only take about 2 minutes to cook; larger shrimp take 3 to 5 minutes.
• Cook shrimp in their shells, if possible. The shells protect the delicate meat as it cooks and add some flavor. Shell and devein them after cooking.
• Add cooked shrimp to hot dishes only at the very end of the cooking time so they won't continue cooking.
• Be careful to avoid overcooking the shrimp or they will toughen and lose flavor.
  

Vietnamese Dessert

Home page	Restaurant Search	Vietnamese Recipe Search	Custom Search   Visit XUVN.COM for More Insight of Vietnam  Diet & Fitness Food to Enhance Look Fitness Activities Guide Vietnamese Art Vietnamese Music Vietnamese Clothing
Grocery search	History of Vietnamese Food	Vietnamese Food Calories
As Health Food	Ingredients & Nutrition	Popular Dish Nutrition
Restaurant Menu	Asian Grocery Online	Vietnam Travel Guide
Vietnamese Cuisine	Cooking Utensil  Cooking tips	Eat & Travel in Vietnam
Vietnamese Culture	Vietnam Towns in America	Asian Communities in America