Richard Fl, your shrimp.....

AZRP

Looked so good that I had to stop and get some on the way home this afternoon. I brined two hours in Old Bay and kosher salt.



Cooked them direct at 350 dome.



Did a wasabi, soy, and mayo dip as well as a cocktail sauce. Thanks for the inspiration! -RP

FlaPoolman

Randy,, I thought when they still had the heads on they were bait? :huh:

Richard Fl

Nice snack. Bet you did not get them just off the boat? Did they dry out at that temp. How long at 350 8-10 minutes or so? I added couple tbs liquid smoke to the brine and it helped the smoke flavor.

AZRP

They were farm raised in Ecuador, got them fresh from the Chinese market. -RP

cookn biker

Well that looks good Randy. Dang, Pretty sure I need to get some now. :laugh:

Richard Fl

Thanks Good answer, now how long at 350?

RRP

Randy,

dumb question time - OK? Even though the head is left on they have been gutted right? Also I know how to de-vein normal shrimp but those glisten like the shell is still on so what about the "mud vein"?

Richard Fl

Usually when the shrimp is peeled they have not been split and the vein removed. Some are sold p/d-- peeled and deveined. The ones I cooked with the shell and head had the vein on top. After I peel the vein sometimes appears 'cause some of the shrimp came off with the shell. If I see a dark vein, I pick it off. No biggee to me to eat with or without. When I am cleaning them before cooking I always take a sharp knife down the top and remove the vein.

RRP

Richard, I understand, but years ago I watched a nature show that revealed that a shrimp is the cockroach of the sea and and and you get my point! BTW I know a lobster is too, but let's don't go there since they don't have the mud vein glaring at you! :laugh:

Little Steven

Richard buddy!

It's poop! Course if you eat loney shrimp crap isn't nothin'

Steve

Florida Grillin Girl

Randy, don't listen to them about the vein. Everybody you serve knows that if the head and shell is still on, the vein is still there. It's a choice of which way to serve and eat - with or without. Yours look good and I like the char ya got there. Nice sauce, too.

EGGARY

How does the brining differ than marinating ? Taste ?

It looks interesting to do it that way.

Have a nice week end.

Gary

Richard Fl

Compliments of Wikipedia:

In cooking, brining is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in brine before cooking.[1]

Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation.[1] The brine surrounding the cells has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells, but the cell fluid has a higher concentration of other solutes.[1] This leads salt ions to diffuse into the cell, whilst the solutes in the cells cannot diffuse through the cell membranes into the brine. The increased salinity of the cell fluid causes the cell to absorb water from the brine via osmosis.[1] The salt introduced into the cell also denatures its proteins.[1] The proteins coagulate, forming a matrix that traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This prevents the meat from dehydrating.

In many foods the additional salt is also desirable as a preservative.

Kosher meats are salted during the process of koshering, so are not brined.

Some cheeses are periodically washed in brine during their ripening. Not only does the brine carry flavors into the cheese (it might be seasoned with spices or wine), but the salty environment may nurture the growth of the Brevibacterium linens bacteria, which can impart a very pronounced odor (Limburger) and interesting flavor. The same bacteria can also have some impact on cheeses that are simply ripened in humid conditions, like Camembert. Large populations of these "smear bacteria" show up as a sticky orange-red layer on some brine-washed cheeses.
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Marination is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origins of the word allude to the use of brine (aqua marina) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor by immersion in liquid. The liquid in question, the 'marinade' can be acidic with ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, or wine, or savory with soy sauce, brine or other prepared sauces. Along with these liquids, a marinade often contains oils, herbs, and spices to further flavor the food items.

It is commonly used to flavor foods and to tenderize tougher cuts of meat.[1] The process may last seconds or days. Different marinades are used in different cuisines. For example, in Indian cuisine the marinade is usually prepared with mixture of spices.

EGGARY

I understand the process of brining. I do it with chicken. I was interested in doing it with shrimp. I was wondering how it tasted by brining.

Thanks for all the information.

Gary

Richard Fl

Next time I will cook them at 350 for 10-15 minutes. The long cook softened the shell and they were hard to peel. Still great flavor with brining, eventho they come from salt water. Used some liquid smoke in the brine and it added some nice flavor.