Boiling shrimp

[ralph7]

Got a little discussion going on at another place and something that came up, was that some folks boil shrimp with the heads attached.
The claim is that they taste better that way and I am curious what some of you might think about this as I have never boiled a shrimp with the head attached....yet.

 

[kwselke]

The head/brain of shrimp contain a great deal of fat which adds flavor. The problem with shrimp heads is they spoil/go rancid rapidly. Fresh caught head-on wild shrimp are the best IMHO. If the shrimp have been frozen it is best for the heads to have been removed.

 

[vonn]

What kw said is what I have always been told but I only eat shrimp,fish,etc. that I am sure are fresh.

 

[Bakebfr480]

I eat them raw so I wouldn't know!

 

[CCHGN]

Always boil mud bugs,,,,,oh wait, never mind.

 

[Watchdog]

I can't bring myself to eat anything called a crustacean. Or arthropod...whichever term you wish to use.

That applies to those things called bivalves as well.

There is no place on my dinner table for those things...with or without heads, legless, boiled, fried, blackened, whatever. Get away from me with those things.

 

[kwselke]

I can't bring myself to eat anything called a crustacean. Or arthropod...whichever term you wish to use.

That applies to those things called bivalves as well.

There is no place on my dinner table for those things...with or without heads, legless, boiled, fried, blackened, whatever. Get away from me with those things.

More for me!

 

[HARDWARE]

I don’t care even if it’s true. No head on anything I’m eatin.

 

[Jinglebob]

I boil shrimp just like I boil crawfish, heads and all. I don't suck the shrimp heads but those mudbug heads are mighty tasty.

 

[LittleCooner]

crawfish, head on, shrimp, always with heads off. No reason on the shrimp, just never considered boiling with heads on. Most of this I do when near the gulf with shrimp that I know is fresh. Have a great place in one spot to meet the boat and buy them off the boat. That's fresh.

 

[Rpg]

Sweet shrimp is a dish you can sometimes find at good sushi spots.

That’s the head deep fried and the body raw.

The head is crispy and tastes great.

The body is yummy too.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

If really fresh like- buy them off the boat, cook head on.
Most of the fresh shrimp I have been fortunate enough to buy down around the Gulf already had the heads snapped off.
Love Thai, Chinese and Indonesian food.
Don’t care that much for Japanese food.
Just Don’t have the Yen for it.

 

[OFT II]

Don’t care that much for Japanese food.
Just Don’t have the Yen for it.

Great pun, Pilgrim.

 

[bearman49709]

I've had it both ways many times and the taste is the same ether way.

 

[Kurusu]

Always boiled them whole.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Always boiled them whole.

OK!
I have to ask.
Why do you boil them twice?

 

[Stevens]

I don’t care even if it’s true. No head on anything I’m eatin.

Even lettuce?

 

[TXSWFAN]

I suck the fat out of the shrimp head just like I do crawfish.

The heads, boiled in six quarts of water for three hours with a large diced onion, five celery stalks, three carrots, three bay leaves, a while head of garlic, two dozen whole peppercorns and a teaspoon of kosher salt makes an excellent stock. Good for seafood gumbo, étouffée, sauce piquante, Cardinal sauce, etc. Make sure you strain it of course and it freezes in quart ziplock bags for a long time.

 

[Stevens]

As others have mentioned, there is lots of flavor in the fat in the shrimp heads. Boil shrimp whole, when eating twist the head off and squeeze the yellow fat out onto potatoes, tail meat, corn or whatever else you are serving.
bon appetite!
Steve W

 

[Filo McShoe]

I look at the pricing look at the shrimp see what looks like the best deal at the time head on or head off. Then I usually just have the store steam it for me with some Old Bay on it.
In the old days I'd devein them, now days oh well.