Pick the Right Type and Perfect Sized Prawn

What are shrimp?

Shrimp are decapod shelled invertebrates (crustaceans). There are thousands of species, but only 20 that are seen sold commercially.

They can live in freshwater, salt water and even mixed habitats. Shrimp come in many sizes and also several colors when raw, but mostly all pink hues when cooked.

Are Shrimp Good For You?

I hate the word healthy these days; it means so many things to so many people. This is what I do know about shrimp.

• high protein
• low fat
• high iron
• low calorie

But, they do have higher amounts of cholesterol per pound.

Prawns vs Shrimp

What is the difference between prawns and shrimp? Most people assume they are the crustacean, just different sizes. That is FALSE! Both shrimp and prawns are crustaceans that have ten legs and possess external skeletons. However,  shrimp belong to the sub-order Pleocyemata, while prawns belong to the sub-order Dendrobranchiata.

Prawns: have branching gills, claws on three pairs of their legs and second pincers that are larger than their front ones. Prawns lack the distinct bend in their bodies that is seen with shrimp and each of their body segments overlaps the one behind it in succession.

Shrimp have plate-like gills and claws on two pairs of their legs with their front pincers being the largest. Shrimp also have a distinct bend in their bodies and their second segments overlap the first and third segments.

Types of Shrimp

Shrimp are put into four categories: white, pink, brown and red. Chances are the stuff you are buying at the store is white or pink, but then there are several types of both white and pink.

One of the biggest determinants is where they were sourced.

• White shrimp: Either caught wild or farmed, white shrimp tend to have less flavor than pink. The flavor they do have has been described as nutty or sweet. They are better with rich and flavor-forward sauces and spices. Their raw shells are a greyish-white and the while the shell turns pink when cooked, the actual shrimp stays white.
• Pink shrimp: Most come from the gulf and these have a shrimp-ier flavor. They are mild and sweet and do best with mild and delicate sauces so you can actually taste the shrimp. When raw they have pink shells and both the shell and meat will be even more pink when cooked.
• Brown shrimp: Another contender for shrimp flavor, these are sometimes mislabeled as white shrimp because the shells tend to be greyish as well. They are usually smaller and darker because of iodine content. They do turn pink when cooked and do best in hearty sauces because of their firm texture.
• Royal red shrimp: They have a bright red shell and often look like little lobsters. They have sweet, tender meat and can be subbed for recipes calling for chopped lobster or langostinos.
• Tiger shrimp: These are the big boys of shrimp and are sometimes called prawns. They have sweet, buttery meat and best served by themselves for a shrimp cocktail or with a light sauce. They are also ideal for grilling because they are large enough to not fall through the grates.
• Rock shrimp: They have a spiny shell that is rough instead of smooth. The are smaller, but their meat is also comparable to lobster and great as a substitute.

Shrimp Sizes

The seafood counter can be a little misleading. The names colossal, large and extra large can vary from counter to counter and there aren’t any hard and steady rules.

Now let’s talk about prawn sizing. As a way to identify the size of a catch, allocate a price to the prawns per portion, and so you know what you’re buying, depending on what you are using the prawns for, a sizing model was introduced. You may have seen figures like 22/20, U10 or U6 before when you’ve gone to purchase prawns and are weighing up your options. These stand for the prawn size and are universally known.

Shrimp can be purchased peeled, deveined or head-on. Depending on what recipe you are using them in, you might need to buy one or the other. I prefer to buy head off, only because I don’t eat the head and I am still paying by the pound.

However I do recommend purchasing them with the shell on and cooking them in the shell whenever possible. The shell actually holds most of the flavor, so cooking it with shell imparts flavor.

Giant (U-8/6) & XXL (U-6/4)

Shrimp size: Giant & XL shrimp also known as the African Black Tiger Shrimp are the largest shrimp in the market. You will get anywhere from 8 to 4 shrimp per 2 lb bag or box and 1-3 shrimp per serving.

Giant Tiger shrimp meat have a firm and sweet texture. They are wild caught and are frozen whole on the boat to lock in the flavours of the ocean.

Cooking: Since colossal shrimp are so large they may require up to 15 minutes to bake or cook. You often see XL or XXL shrimp on a one shrimp dish. These shrimps can be as big as a lobster.

Colossal (16-20) & Super Colossal (U-10/12, 13-15)

Shrimp Size: Colossal shrimp average about 16 to 20 shrimp per one-pound bag. You will get 4-5 shrimp per serving and they come in at about 0.75 oz per shrimp.

Cooking: Since colossal shrimp are so large they may require up to 15 minutes to bake or cook. You often see colossal shrimp in a shrimp cocktail or even stuffed with crab and baked. They are almost always the focal point of the dish.

Jumbo (21-25, 26-30)

Shrimp Size: In a one-pound bag, you get anywhere from 21 to 30 jumbo shrimp. You get from 5-7 shrimp per 3oz serving and each individual shrimp weighs about half an ounce.

Cooking: Since jumbo shrimp are noticeably larger they take about 10 minutes to bake or grill. They are usually the focal point of the meal and are great grilled with light seasoning, sautéed in butter and garlic, or even included in a nice stir-fry.

Medium (41-50, 51-60) & Large (31-40)

Shrimp Size: Medium shrimp run anywhere from 41 to 60 shrimp per two-pound bag. This is about 10 to 15 shrimp per 3 oz serving and 0.23 oz per shrimp.

Large shrimp are about 31 to 40 shrimp per two pound making for about 8 or 9 shrimp per serving. Each individual shrimp weighs about 0.33 oz.

Cooking: Medium shrimp and large shrimp only takes about 4-6 minutes to pan-sear. Medium and large shrimp go great in pastas like shrimp scampi or seared in a little butter and placed on top of a steak.

Small (61-70) & Extra small (71-90)

Shrimp Size: For small shrimp, you usually get anywhere from 61 to 70 shrimp per one-pound bag. This equates to about 18 shrimp per standard 3 oz serving, meaning that each individual shrimp weighs about 0.17 oz.

Cooking: Small shrimp cook extremely quickly. You’ll want to make sure you pay close attention while cooking them, so they don’t come out rubbery due to over-cooking. Small shrimp work great in shrimp salads and dips.

How To Cook Shrimp

Shrimp are so verstile and can be prepared in SO many different variations. They can be fried, sautéed, boiled, baked, ceviched and grilled. They are seen through nearly every ethnic cuisine, many of which have unique ways of making shrimp.

In general you’ll want to cook until tails start to curl (but aren’t fully curled) and they are a taunt pinkish opaque. They cook fast, so be mindful to not overcook when they can get mushy or rubbery.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

How much weight do shrimp lose when peeled?

Shrimp sizes are based on the form they are purchased. This means colossal shrimp (peeled and deveined) will have more meat than colossal shrimp (shell, tail and head on). On average a shrimp with the head on are two sizes larger than they would be with the heads removed. A shrimp with just the shell and tail will be about one size larger than they would with these removed. For example if you purchased a colossal 16-20 shrimp with the head on it would be approximately a jumbo 26-30 size shrimp with the head removed. Once the shell is removed it would be approximately a large 31-40 size shrimp.

Why do my shrimp seem smaller after cooking?

Like all seafood, shrimp will shrink some in size when it cooks due to water weight loss. Shrimp and seafood without preservatives added will shrink less because the preservatives often cause the product to retain excess moisture which is released during the cooking process.

Conlusion