Blanching is a method of cooking food very quickly in extremely hot water and then submerging it into ice just as fast. Shrimp lends well to blanching since it generally does not take long to cook. Blanched shrimp can then be used for a number of different dishes and recipes; it is especially effective when making various types of shrimp salads. The whole process of blanching takes only a few minutes.
Step 1
Fill a medium sized pot with water and add 1 tsp. of salt.
Step 2
Bring the water to a boil over high heat on the stove.
Step 3
Prepare a bowl of ice and cold water to submerge the shrimp after cooking. Place the ice bath on the counter near the stove.
Step 4
Place the shrimp into the boiling water for one minute.
Step 5
Spoon the shrimp out of the water after one minute and immediately submerge them into the ice bath. The ice and cold water will stop the shrimp from cooking any further.
Step 6
Remove the shrimp from the ice once they are completely cooled and lay them on paper towels to dry.
Step 7
Peel and devein the shrimp once they are blanched and dried, if this was not already done when purchased. The blanching will make the shrimp easier to peel and devein.
Things You'll Need
- Medium sized pot
- Bowl
- Ice
- Water
- Shrimp
- Spoon
- Paper towels
References
- "Simply Mexican"; Lourdes Castro; 2009
- "Fine Haitian Cuisine"; Mona Cassion Ménager; 2005
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