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Deveining Shrimp 10/5/2006 12:38:09 PM
A tip on how and why shrimp should be deveined. Hi!
The black line that runs down the back of a shrimp (or lobster) is the intestinal tract. I for one, do not care to eat the intestinal tract of any creature. The taste of a shrimp that has not been deveined is a taste you will not soon forget. It is gritty and the taste is just AWFUL!
I bet a lot of people, if not the majority of people who do not like shrimp is because they've eaten a shrimp that was not deveined. Once that taste hits your mouth, it could make you hate shrimp forever unless someone fixes you shrimp that are deveined, and then have you decide.
In my cookbook, for every shrimp recipe I include what you need, and how to devein a shrimp, but I will tell you here too.
After removing the shell, turn the shrimp so the back side of the shrimp faces you. Using a paring knife, slit down the back of the shrimp, but do not go all the way through unless you are preparing butterfly shrimp. Place the knife between your thumb and forefinger and gently peel back the back side of the slit shrimp and remove the black vein (intestinal tract). Sometimes the vein is not in one piece and has to be rinsed out. Rinse all of your shrimp under cold water. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place in a dish.
There are also three types of shrimp deveiners that can be found in any in kitchen store, grocery store or any store that sells kitchen utensils.
