I prefer, however, to use a small pair of kitchen shears (this petite pair from Joyce Chen is perfect for tasks like this). To do so, insert the tip of one blade underneath the shell at the top along the outer curve, then snip toward the tail. If you want shell-on, deveined shrimp (for BA’s Best Shrimp Cocktail, for example), pause here and skip to the next step.
Otherwise, peel back the shell from either side—you can take the legs off with it—and either discard or save for stock. At this point you can leave the tail on (a convenient handle for shrimp served as finger food) or remove it (perhaps a nice touch if the shrimp is getting incorporated into a soup or pasta).
Then remove the vein. The dark vein that runs along the back of the shrimp is actually the end of its digestive tube. So no, it’s not a vein in the sense of a human vein and yes, it’s filled with shrimp digestive material (okay fine, it’s poo). Anyway, the vein, while not harmful for humans to consume, can be gritty and taste a bit grimy (also, it’s not cute). While you don’t have to remove it from small shrimp, a good rule of thumb is: If you can see it, remove it.
To do so, make a shallow cut with the shears or a paring knife along the shrimp’s back. If you’ve already used your shears to remove the shell, you might not need to cut any deeper. Use the tip of the paring knife or scissor blade to get under the dark vein and gently tug it out from the top. Since the vein is fairly elastic, it often comes out in one piece. If it breaks apart, simply pick it up and finish the job.
Only one question remains: Now that your shrimp are all squeaky clean—ready to be seared, pilaf’d, poached in ghee, or doused in a dilly cream sauce—when’s the last time you took a shower?
Ready for your shrimp:
Shrimp and Salami Pasta
If plopping an entire stick of butter into a pot of noodles is your idea of a good time (it’s definitely ours), this saucy shrimp and salami pasta is for you.
I prefer, however, to use a small pair of kitchen shears (this petite pair from Joyce Chen is perfect for tasks like this). To do so, insert the tip of one blade underneath the shell at the top along the outer curve, then snip toward the tail. If you want shell-on, deveined shrimp (for BA’s Best Shrimp Cocktail, for example), pause here and skip to the next step.Otherwise, peel back the shell from either side—you can take the legs off with it—and either discard or save for stock. At this point you can leave the tail on (a convenient handle for shrimp served as finger food) or remove it (perhaps a nice touch if the shrimp is getting incorporated into a soup or pasta).Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Cyd McDowellThen remove the vein. The dark vein that runs along the back of the shrimp is actually the end of its digestive tube. So no, it’s not a vein in the sense of a human vein and yes, it’s filled with shrimp digestive material (okay fine, it’s poo). Anyway, the vein, while not harmful for humans to consume, can be gritty and taste a bit grimy (also, it’s not cute). While you don’t have to remove it from small shrimp, a good rule of thumb is: If you can see it, remove it.To do so, make a shallow cut with the shears or a paring knife along the shrimp’s back. If you’ve already used your shears to remove the shell, you might not need to cut any deeper. Use the tip of the paring knife or scissor blade to get under the dark vein and gently tug it out from the top. Since the vein is fairly elastic, it often comes out in one piece. If it breaks apart, simply pick it up and finish the job.Only one question remains: Now that your shrimp are all squeaky clean—ready to be seared, pilaf’d, poached in ghee, or doused in a dilly cream sauce—when’s the last time you took a shower?Ready for your shrimp:Shrimp and Salami PastaIf plopping an entire stick of butter into a pot of noodles is your idea of a good time (it’s definitely ours), this saucy shrimp and salami pasta is for you.View Recipe