These topics may have been covered in passing in other threads. I cannot quite tell. But I thought I would put this out there as a separate thread.
How many folks devein shrimp? Consistently or only under certain circumstances? I have gone through phases of never deveining, always deveining, and sometimes deveining. America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated seem to think that not deveining risks bitterness. I have always thought it was more of a yuck factor for some folks if shrimp are not deveined. At this point, I would say I devein if the shrimp are particularly large, whether or not I am peeling them. If I am peeling the shrimp anyway, more often than not I probably devein. (BTW, I do not know if I ever peel head-on shrimp!) If I am cooking for company I am particularly trying to impress or whom I think are squeemish, I would probably devein. I really have not done a taste test for bitterness. If someone has and can tell me deveining really makes a difference in taste, I might start deveining consistently. Shrimp are expensive enough where I am that I want them to be as good as they can be.
Re peeling, I think I generally do not, unless the dish is something particularly refined that I think folks are going to eat with a knife and fork and will not want to use their fingers. Otherwise, I think I generally regret peeling any shrimp and I really prefer heads on!
I am not sure, for instance, why paella recipes seem most often to call for peeled shrimp. It is not like they call for shucking the clams or mussels that are often a part of the dish! I suppose there is the issue of being able to shrimp shells to make a stock and no peeling no shells.
How many folks devein shrimp? Consistently or only under certain circumstances? I have gone through phases of never deveining, always deveining, and sometimes deveining. America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated seem to think that not deveining risks bitterness. I have always thought it was more of a yuck factor for some folks if shrimp are not deveined. At this point, I would say I devein if the shrimp are particularly large, whether or not I am peeling them. If I am peeling the shrimp anyway, more often than not I probably devein. (BTW, I do not know if I ever peel head-on shrimp!) If I am cooking for company I am particularly trying to impress or whom I think are squeemish, I would probably devein. I really have not done a taste test for bitterness. If someone has and can tell me deveining really makes a difference in taste, I might start deveining consistently. Shrimp are expensive enough where I am that I want them to be as good as they can be.
Re peeling, I think I generally do not, unless the dish is something particularly refined that I think folks are going to eat with a knife and fork and will not want to use their fingers. Otherwise, I think I generally regret peeling any shrimp and I really prefer heads on!
I am not sure, for instance, why paella recipes seem most often to call for peeled shrimp. It is not like they call for shucking the clams or mussels that are often a part of the dish! I suppose there is the issue of being able to shrimp shells to make a stock and no peeling no shells.