Peeled and deveined shrimp are easy to find at the store, but they can be a good bit cheaper with the peels on. Save money by doing the work yourself.
Shrimp, Three Ways
There are different ways to peel shrimp: completely peeled, tail-on or head-and-tail-on. Your recipe will tell you what you need.
Peeling Technique
For completely peeled and deveined shrimp, gently twist to remove the head if it's still attached. Then go underneath, where the legs are attached, and dig your thumb under the shell to release. Next, remove the tail with a gentle tug.
Cleaning the Shrimp
Lay the shrimp down and run your paring knife along the back.
Deveining
Try not to cut too deep, and pull out the thin gray vein. For tail-on shrimp, remove the shell as you did before, but leave the last segment attached, then devein.
Head-On Shrimp
When recipes ask to keep both the head and the tail on, just remove the shell from the middle. Make a shallow cut in the back of the shrimp and pull out the vein.
Ready to Cook
Now you're ready for all kinds of shrimp dishes, and you saved some cash.
