The shell keeps the shrimp from losing moisture and shrimp flavor. The only time I shell first is for something like kabobs on the grill or in a dish like cioppino.

One aye, one nay. Can we get a cross section, LOL?

If I am adding cooked shrimp to a sauce, as in Shrimp Creole or Shrimp Newberg, I cook the raw shrimp in the shells and remove shells and any dark veins when cool enough to handle. If I am grilling or stir frying them, I shell and devein the raw shrimp before cooking. For me, it depends on the end usage.

Leave both shells and heads on to cook! Much better flavor that way! ! ! If you are really all that squeamish about cooking with the vein in, use a sharp shears to cut the shell along the back. Remove vein, but leave shell in place.

Rusty

Not squeamish at all, Rusty. I just want the most flavor from my treat as possible. Unless I go to an Asian store, none sold here still with heads. And even frozen (which really is fresher than what is at the "fresh" seafood counter), they are usually already split with the vein removed, but shell on. I'll be leaving the shell on next time. Thanks all.

I leave the shell on when making New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. Some restaurants even serve the dish with the heads on.

I shell and devein the shrimp, then make a stock with the shells, then use the stock to poach the shrimp. That gives the shells more than the quick cooking time to release their flavor. Might have gotten that tip from CI years ago, not sure but that's the way I do it.

I leave shells on but sometimes devein, especially large shrimp. The shrimp I had in Brazil had shells and heads on. If they were fried, I ate them with heads and shells (as they were fairly small), and the heads were crunchy. My brother laboriously peeled and deheaded all of his. I liked the crunch of the fried shells, and so they did not bother me at all - neither did the legs.

Lars, I often eat the shells when fried crispy. I will try just about anything, but some things I would like to see someone else eat first. Shrimp heads may be one of them. But if I was sitting across the table from you and you downed one, I wouldn't hesitate, LOL.

I have to take the poo tube out. I can taste the poo in the shrimp if it has been cooked with the poo in and then deveined.

The vein does not slide out intact after being cooked. Flavor difference was negligible for us whether cooked peeled or unpeeled. Maybe because there was always a sauce?

The size of the shrimp did make a difference in taste as well as what type they were.

I'm another peel and remove the vein. The thought of poop filled prawns makes me feel I'll! Plus, DH hates fiddling with food and likes it all ready to eat. So I spoil him lol. I like to have fresh shells and heads to use for bisque.

I don't think they cook long enough for the shell to impart any added flavour to the fish.

"colleenoz

I have to take the poo tube out--------------."

Well, do you eat raw clams, raw oysters?

If you buy frozen "Easy Peel" shrimps, don't bother with keeping the shells. Those shrimps have been treated.

dcarch

No, I dislike clams and oysters.

Dcarch, what have they been treated with and what for?

Salts - to plump them up and preserve them. I try to buy IQF domestic shrimp where shrimp is the only ingredient. Hate shrimp that taste like chemicals.

They treat them with some kind of chemical to make the meat translucent and crunchy. The general public thinks that kind of texture is "fresh".

Taste-wise, they are not like real shrimps at all.

dcarch

Now I wonder if I've ever tasted "real" shrimp. I had no idea.

I buy 'easy-peel' shrimp. They already have the vein out. When I'm making a shrimp dish that's simmered I leave the shells on. I've also seen to shell the shrimp, make a stock with the shells and use that in the recipe. I found that shrimp cooked in the shell resulted in a moist, tender shrimp.

ETA. I just read DC's comment about easy-peel shrimp. I stay away from pork and chicken that is labeled "seasoned" as we all know that's injected with a salt solution, now it seems they're doing the same with shrimp. We eat so little shrimp, it isn't an issue, really.

Sigh, it's done to so many things. There was a news story recently that said those prepared meals were sane poor quality as fast food b/c of additives.

Same shrimps, three very different tastes and textures:

1. Chemically treated "Easy Peel" shrimps.

2. Frozen untreated shrimps. (better with head on)

3. Live shrimps from the tank in an Asian store or restaurant, which are so delicious that restaurants do not "recipe" them. Simple steam, and dip in soy sauce with ginger. OMG!

dcarch

I'm lucky to live where we can trap our own wild shrimp from the cold waters of Hood Canal (a part of Puget Sound) during several Shrimping Season days during the year. Put in the shrimp pots into the deep water, go back later, pull them up (hopefully filled with shrimp), bring them to shore and into a pot of boiling water waiting on the stove. Peel and eat, no deveining necessary (altho we do remove the heads). We can also get fresh crab during crab season (also only on special days).

The rest of the year my fish monger sells unadulterated, wild caught shrimp, although it's been frozen, but it tastes pretty fresh.

The best shrimp I've had has been at beach towns/cities like Vera Cruz, Mexico, and Jaco, Costa Rica, where I got large shrimp that was very fresh and untreated. However, I can also get reasonably good shrimp at the Santa Monica Seafood Market, but the large ones are fairly expensive, although they are also the best tasting.

Fresh shrimp at the beach definitely tastes different and better than shrimp that has been frozen. I'm okay with crab that's been frozen, if it is Alaskan King Crab legs, which I've never had fresh. I do prefer fresh small crabs to ones that have been frozen.

Shrimp on the beach at Jaco, Costa Rica:

There is an Asian grocery in my town. I go there for my Red Boat fish sauce and green papaya when I want Som Tam Thai. But I can't get too close to the "fresh" fish area. It just makes me gag. I do not believe the fish is fresh. Fresh fish does NOT make me gag. However, if the shrimp are alive, it might be worth it to put up with the awful smell to get a chance at some real shrimp taste.

Fresh fish doesn't smell bad or fishy at all. Just ozone-y and fresh. I'm lucky to live at the sea. Where I come from in England, Oxford, we didn't eat sea fish but now I love it.