Cooking question.. - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Salem · 11-13-2009, 04:26 PM

I had no idea where to post this, general, life, or somewhere else, so I chose general.

Anyways, I'm fairly new to the whole cooking situation, and I'm making a stir fry tonight. I have some frozen shrimp I was gonna cook and de-shell and fry up with some green and orange peppers, mushrooms, soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, then put it all over white rice and put crunchy noodles on top.

My question was, will the shrimp be enough protien or should i cut up a piece of chicken to go with it? I'm making the stir fry for 2-3 people.

Thanks guys!

Willravel · 11-13-2009, 04:33 PM

The shrimp should be just fine. I like to make veggie stir fry when people come over and they either really like it or are really good at sparing my feelings. What oil are you using? Do you have a wok?

Salem · 11-13-2009, 04:46 PM

I don't have a wok, and I hadn't even thought of oils. We have canola and veggie oil in the cupboard. As I said I planned to kinda throw them in the frying pan with soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. The shrimp i have to cook in boiling water so i can de-shell them.

Willravel · 11-13-2009, 05:05 PM

I personally like to throw some peanut oil in before I start adding everything else. Not only does it help stuff not stick, it also adds a nice Asian taste and it helps the consistency a lot. Then again, I don't usually use mushrooms. Just my $0.02.

Salem · 11-13-2009, 05:11 PM

Hmmm we don't have peanut oil, but I'll definitly put a little oil in the pan, that will probably help it not stick and stuff to, or should I just throw some margarine in?

ratbastid · 11-13-2009, 05:14 PM

Cook in oil, add the flavoring sauces later on. Veggie oil ought to be fine. Olive oil has too low a smoke point, and will add flavors you don't intend. Don't use too much. Tablespoon or so.

You don't have to boil the shrimp before shelling them. What I'd do is, peel the shrimp raw, heat up a little oil (but don't let it smoke), toss the shrimp in there, and stir-fry them until the shrimp are more or less cooked. Then add the tougher veggies (zucchini, peppers, etc) and whatever aromatics you're using (onions, garlic, etc). Finish up with the more fragile veggies or the things you don't want wilted too badly (sprouts, herbs, etc). I'd serve just like that, with sauces on the side.

You'll be fine doing this in a frying pan. If you get into making this sort of dish, you'll want a wok before long, but it can totally be done in a flat pan.

Salem · 11-13-2009, 05:28 PM

Hmm alright, should i just run the shrimp under some water to thaw them then?

Redlemon · 11-13-2009, 05:37 PM

You said you have frozen shrimp, and that you are serving 2-3 people, but you didn't say how much shrimp you have.

Salem · 11-13-2009, 05:43 PM

A lot. A big bag of like 50.

ratbastid · 11-13-2009, 07:45 PM

Sorry, I missed the "frozen" part. The concerns about thawing meat go double for shellfish.

Thawing them in cold running tap water is the fastest thing. If you have time, you could thaw them in a container of water in the fridge. Do NOT thaw them in a microwave or at room temperature.

How big are these shrimp? Shrimp are coded by a one- or two-part number that describes the number of them in a pound. 31/35's have between 31 and 35 shrimp per pound, for instance. You also find terms ranging from "extra small" to "large" to "jumbo" to "colossal".

EDIT: Of course, you've probably thawed, cooked, and eaten them by the time I got back to this thread.... :\

Salem · 11-13-2009, 09:37 PM

Yup. They are average size for shrimp, smalish when cooked. I fried them and put everything in and such it was fantastic. Thanks for all the advice guys!

Willravel · 11-13-2009, 09:42 PM

Our pleasure!

spindles · 11-15-2009, 03:31 PM

too late on this to be helpful, but for future reference, make sure you don't overcook the shrimp (we antipodeans call them prawns). I'd probably fry them first, then set them aside while I stir fried the vegies, then re-add them right at the end.

Charlatan · 11-16-2009, 04:33 PM

There is a difference between shrimps and prawns: LINK

Quote:

Starting with the similarities can help to highlight the differences between shrimp and prawns. Both are decapod crustaceans, meaning that they have exoskeletons and 10 legs. They can be found in salt and fresh water all over the world, typically swimming in search of food. Both shrimp and prawns tend to stay near the ocean floor. They also have similar flavors, and come in a wide range of sizes from minuscule to quite large.

Culinarily, many people distinguish between shrimp and prawns on the basis of size. “Prawns” are considered to be larger, while shrimp are smaller. In terms of biology, however, things get a bit more complex, since shrimp and prawns are in different suborders, indicating key biological differences between the two. Prawns are in the suborder Dendobranchiata, while shrimp are classified as Pleocyemata.

The primary difference is the gill structure. Shrimp have branching gills, while prawns have lameller gills with a platelike structure. There are a few other distinguishing features. The front pincers of shrimp are typically the largest, while prawns have bigger second pincers. Prawns also have longer legs than shrimp. These differences may seem subtle, but they indicate different steps along the evolutionary path of both creatures.

Numerous varieties of shrimp and prawns are harvested for consumption. Some common shrimp species include spot, pink, white, and brown shrimp, along with Northern shrimp. Prawns that you may find at the fishmonger include tiger, deep water, bay, and king prawns.

spindles · 11-16-2009, 04:44 PM

I stand corrected, though I guess the difference from a cooking perspective would be small.

11-13-2009, 04:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
Salem Psycho Location: Canada	Cooking question.. I had no idea where to post this, general, life, or somewhere else, so I chose general. Anyways, I'm fairly new to the whole cooking situation, and I'm making a stir fry tonight. I have some frozen shrimp I was gonna cook and de-shell and fry up with some green and orange peppers, mushrooms, soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, then put it all over white rice and put crunchy noodles on top. My question was, will the shrimp be enough protien or should i cut up a piece of chicken to go with it? I'm making the stir fry for 2-3 people. Thanks guys!

11-13-2009, 05:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	You said you have frozen shrimp, and that you are serving 2-3 people, but you didn't say how much shrimp you have. __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

11-13-2009, 07:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Sorry, I missed the "frozen" part. The concerns about thawing meat go double for shellfish. Thawing them in cold running tap water is the fastest thing. If you have time, you could thaw them in a container of water in the fridge. Do NOT thaw them in a microwave or at room temperature. How big are these shrimp? Shrimp are coded by a one- or two-part number that describes the number of them in a pound. 31/35's have between 31 and 35 shrimp per pound, for instance. You also find terms ranging from "extra small" to "large" to "jumbo" to "colossal". EDIT: Of course, you've probably thawed, cooked, and eaten them by the time I got back to this thread.... :\ Last edited by ratbastid; 11-13-2009 at 07:47 PM..

11-15-2009, 03:31 PM	#13 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Location: Sydney, Australia	too late on this to be helpful, but for future reference, make sure you don't overcook the shrimp (we antipodeans call them prawns). I'd probably fry them first, then set them aside while I stir fried the vegies, then re-add them right at the end. __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

11-16-2009, 04:44 PM	#15 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Location: Sydney, Australia	I stand corrected, though I guess the difference from a cooking perspective would be small. __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

11-13-2009, 04:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	The shrimp should be just fine. I like to make veggie stir fry when people come over and they either really like it or are really good at sparing my feelings. What oil are you using? Do you have a wok?

11-13-2009, 04:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
Salem Psycho Location: Canada	I don't have a wok, and I hadn't even thought of oils. We have canola and veggie oil in the cupboard. As I said I planned to kinda throw them in the frying pan with soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. The shrimp i have to cook in boiling water so i can de-shell them.

11-13-2009, 05:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	I personally like to throw some peanut oil in before I start adding everything else. Not only does it help stuff not stick, it also adds a nice Asian taste and it helps the consistency a lot. Then again, I don't usually use mushrooms. Just my $0.02.

11-13-2009, 05:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
Salem Psycho Location: Canada	Hmmm we don't have peanut oil, but I'll definitly put a little oil in the pan, that will probably help it not stick and stuff to, or should I just throw some margarine in?

11-13-2009, 05:14 PM	#6 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Cook in oil, add the flavoring sauces later on. Veggie oil ought to be fine. Olive oil has too low a smoke point, and will add flavors you don't intend. Don't use too much. Tablespoon or so. You don't have to boil the shrimp before shelling them. What I'd do is, peel the shrimp raw, heat up a little oil (but don't let it smoke), toss the shrimp in there, and stir-fry them until the shrimp are more or less cooked. Then add the tougher veggies (zucchini, peppers, etc) and whatever aromatics you're using (onions, garlic, etc). Finish up with the more fragile veggies or the things you don't want wilted too badly (sprouts, herbs, etc). I'd serve just like that, with sauces on the side. You'll be fine doing this in a frying pan. If you get into making this sort of dish, you'll want a wok before long, but it can totally be done in a flat pan.

11-13-2009, 05:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
Salem Psycho Location: Canada	Hmm alright, should i just run the shrimp under some water to thaw them then?

11-13-2009, 05:43 PM	#9 (permalink)
Salem Psycho Location: Canada	A lot. A big bag of like 50.

11-13-2009, 09:37 PM	#11 (permalink)
Salem Psycho Location: Canada	Yup. They are average size for shrimp, smalish when cooked. I fried them and put everything in and such it was fantastic. Thanks for all the advice guys!

11-13-2009, 09:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Our pleasure!