Being from Boston, my uncles were all fisherman. Therefore, I was treated to a LOT of seafood, over the years. There was absolutely nothing better than my uncles dropping off the days’ catch to my mom, who would almost make something amazing. I remember my uncle’s dropping off baby lobsters because no one would buy them, now we all know them as chicken lobsters, and if they were free, there would be a line around the block, to get them.
My husband grew up as a good old midwestern boy, but he vacationed every year at Cape Cod, where he ate his share of great seafood.
When I moved to Ohio after we got married, I noticed that the seafood was different; they didn’t have lobsters; They had crab legs, and I literally remember going through the supermarket and saying, what are those? They just looked like something that came from outer space. Instead of cod, they ate salmon. I have never had salmon, so it was a gained taste, my mother-in-law made the best salmon that I have ever had. I will probably make it in the next couple of weeks, as we finish up Lent. She served it with a creamy dill dip, that even my son would eat (granted he would eat it without the salmon, but he would finish his bowl, LOL).
Seafood is important, it’s a great source of protein without a lot of fat. It hits most of the marks, gluten-free, low carb, and other diets.
Here are some hints when buying shrimp at the grocery store:
1. Know your size of the shrimp: In the United States shrimp are sold by the size, which is the count per pound. The shrimp’s size is measured by the number of shrimp it takes to make 1 pound. You will often see other markings on a shrimp bag, with a U10, which means that it takes less than 10 shrimp to make 1 pound. Sometimes they also have terms such as medium, or jumbo, which are also on the bag
The common counts are:
U-10 (Under 10)–Extra Colossal
U-12 (Under 12) Super Colossal
13/15-Colossal
16/20-Extra Jumbo
26/30-Extra Large
31/35-Large
41/50-Medium
51/60-Small
61/70-Extra Small
2. The freshness of the Shrimp: Freshness of shrimp is important, they are highly perishable, and for safety reasons, you should always purchase fresh shrimp. One key when purchasing shrimp is that there should be no smell. Rotton shrimp smells a lot like ammonia, which means the shrimp has spoiled. Any sign of slime, avoid as it is a sign of rotten shrimp. Black spots also indicate that the shrimp is not fresh, these are called melanosis, which means that the shrimp is old. (Think about an apple turning brown)
Buying Fresh Shrimp vs. Frozen Shrimp
- In your seafood department, most shrimp is actually frozen or has been frozen, and the seafood counter just chose to thaw. Since you can easily thaw your own shrimp at home, it is considered safer (since you don’t know how long they have been in the seafood case) to purchase frozen.
- Shrimp is frozen in two ways, block and IQF, IQF means that it has individually quick frozen. About 90% of the shrimp frozen in supermarkets are IQF, they tend to have better flavor and texture.
How to Thaw Shrimp:
For best results with any shrimp dish, all shrimp should be defrosted before cooking. Since, all you need to do, is either place the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water, they should be defrosted within a matter of minutes. If you are looking for a faster method, put your shrimp into a large bowl, filled with cold water and have the faucet run, directly into the bowl. Once the shrimp is defrosted the shrimp will be more translucent in color and pliable.
Tails, Heads, and Shells:
Shrimp is sold in a variety of ways, including head-on, tails on, and shell on, here is a breakdown on the different types sold in the United States.
- Shell-on shrimp: Just means that the shell is still on the shrimp.
- EZ-Peel Shrimp: They have already removed the head of the shrimp, the shrimp is split and deveined.
Some of the most popular shrimp recipes are air fryer shrimp keto, air fryer shrimp scampi, cooking frozen shrimp in the air fryer, air fryer shrimp tempura, air fryer shrimp with no breading, frozen raw shrimp in the air fryer, I will be trying all of these in the next few weeks.
Kitchen Items Used: (Note: Affiliate links are included in this post)
J.A. Henckels 6-Inch High Carbon Stainless Steel Chef’s Kitchen Knife
Stainless Steel Measuring Cups, 5 Piece Set
Hudson Essentials Stainless Steel Measuring Cups Set-6 Piece Stackable Set with Spout
Anchor Glass Measuring Set–This is one of the handiest tools in the Kitchen
OXO Good Grips 12 Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs
Don’t Forget To Pin—
This is the perfect air fryer recipe. It combines the taste of the Outback with the convenience of the air fryer. You can now feast at home with your favorite Outback Restaurant meal. It is so easy adn delicious.
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
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Start by removing the veins (Outback leaves the shells on, I took them off since I was giving them to my children, and it's easier to eat without the tail)
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Thread them through the skewer. As you thread them, place them in either a greased air fryer basket or on an air fryer tray.
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Then melt the butter, mix in the spices.
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Brush the sauce onto the shrimp
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Set in the air fryer oven or basket, and set the temperature for 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
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Plate, serve and enjoy!
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