Let’s talk about how to do something that most of us detest...peeling and deveining head-on shrimp! It can be a rather cumbersome task yet it’s worth it to ensure your meal is top-notch.

Dealing with head-on shrimp can be a bit intimidating to some because you’re seeing everything such as eyes, antennae, legs, and all! However, there is a bonus to purchasing head-on shrimp, which is the ability to use them in multiple ways. Once you peel the shrimp you can eat the meat in a myriad of delicious ways. You can also save the shells and heads to make a flavorful seafood stock that is perfect for sauces, soups, and stews. Let’s say you peeled some shrimp for dinner but you didn’t have the time to make a stock. You can always store them in the freezer and make the stock at a more convenient time in the future.

Peeling the shrimp

Now let’s move on to the culinary technique of peeling and deveining shrimp. The first thing you want to do is to fill a bowl with ice and place the shrimp on top to keep them cold and fresh. Now pick up one shrimp and examine it. The anatomy of the shrimp has a large head with eyes, long wispy antennae, and a curved body with small claws, legs, and a tail. You may notice or accidentally feel a sharp point at the top of the head which is called the rostrum. There’s another sharp point on the tail called a telson. Be careful when handling them to prevent yourself from getting poked!

To take off the head, hold the body of the shrimp in one hand. Now using the opposite hand, place your index finger and thumb around the joint where the head connects to the body then twist firmly to separate the head from the body. You can also cut the heads off with a sharp knife at the same joint. Place the head in a bowl of ice and set aside.

To take off the peel, hold the shrimp in one hand. With the opposite hand, start at the top where the head was removed and slide your thumb between the place where the shell and the legs meet to crack the shell, then pull up and over with your index finger. This should take off the first few segments of the shells and legs. Repeat this process until you get to the tail.

At this point, you can stop peeling if you want to keep the tails on for aesthetic purposes such as preparing a lovely shrimp cocktail dish.

To remove the tail completely, hold the body in one hand and pinch the area closest to the tail. In the opposite hand, hold on to the tail and firmly pull apart in the opposite direction. This should pop the tail right off.

Deveining the shrimp

Using a small pairing knife, cut the shrimp open slightly by running the knife down the back of the shrimp from the top to the tail. This will expose the “vein” which is actually the digestive tract of the shrimp. You want to remove this so that you don’t experience a surprise crunch of sand while enjoying your meal. This isn’t a requirement but it’s something to think about. A small note...be careful not to cut too deep because if you do, you will have a butterflied shrimp! Absolutely delicious and beautiful but it may not be what you were initially going for ;)

Using the tip of your knife, remove the vein and discard it. I find a paper towel helps to catch the vein easier from the knife when I remove it from the shrimp. You may have to use your fingers to get out the remaining vein if you can’t get it out with your knife.

Lastly, you want to rinse your shrimp and pat them dry. Now you’re ready to make a great meal! Yay!

If you have any questions about the process of peeling and deveining shrimp, feel free to ask me in the comments below. Take care and stay tuned for a follow-up recipe!

-Shari :)