The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 849

HOW TO CLEAN SHRIMP Cleaning shrimp is a matter of peeling off the shells and removing the digestive tract that runs down their backs (often euphemistically referred to as the “vein”) If you want to save yourself some time, pick up EZ-peel shrimp, which have already had their shells cut and digestive tracts removed by machine, leaving you with the simple task of popping off their shells and feet The shrimp will be a little more split open than they’d be if you did it by hand, but for some folks, that’s a reasonable trade-off If you want to go old school, here’s how to do it Step 1: Slit the Shell If you are using fresh head-on shrimp, tear off the heads and reserve them for stock Next, hold each shrimp flat against your cutting board and, using a very sharp paring knife, cut a shallow slit through its shell all the way down the center of its back Step 2: Remove the Digestive Tract Use the tip of your knife or a wooden skewer to carefully lift and pull out the digestive tract The goal is to get it out in one piece so that it doesn’t break and spill its contents onto the shrimp (if it does, simply rinse it off) Step 3: Remove the Shell and Legs Pick up the shrimp and pull the shell halves out sideways Once the sides are separated, grasp the shrimp at the segment just above the tail with one hand, then pull the rest of the shell away from that segment with the other You should be left with a naked shrimp with the last tail segment still attached The tail is customarily left on for aesthetic purposes in many preparations; I like to leave it on because I’m the kind of guy who picks up his shrimp with his fingers and pops them back before chasing it down with the tail itself I love its sweet, flavorful crunch  ... Step 3: Remove the Shell and Legs Pick up the shrimp and pull the shell halves out sideways Once the sides are separated, grasp the shrimp at the segment just above the tail with one hand, then pull the rest of the shell away... pull out the digestive tract The goal is to get it out in one piece so that it doesn’t break and spill its contents onto the shrimp (if it does, simply rinse it off) Step 3: Remove the Shell and Legs... shell away from that segment with the other You should be left with a naked shrimp with the last tail segment still attached The tail is customarily left on for aesthetic purposes in many preparations;