How do you cook shrimp?

Puggles said:
I actually do poach. I boil the water, drop them in and basically kill the heat.
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I’ve found the word ‘boil’ used in American recipes in place of the word poach. I have wondered if it’s assumed you’ll know the difference and that poach isn’t a common word?

Seafood boil (the name put me off because of the word ‘boil’) is surprisingly good and the seafood doesn’t seem to suffer in the slightest from its brief dip in the hottest waters. I suppose it really is all about timing.
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
I’ve found the word ‘boil’ used in American recipes in place of the word poach. I have wondered if it’s assumed you’ll know the difference and that poach isn’t a common word?

Seafood boil (the name put me off because of the word ‘boil’) is surprisingly good and the seafood doesn’t seem to suffer in the slightest from its brief dip in the hottest waters. I suppose it really is all about timing.
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I agree. I had the same reaction. Can one of our American friends clarify this?
 
I buy frozen for cocktail shrimp which I absolutely love.
If cooking for friends as an entree I buy tiger prawns (aust) and saute with garlic butter and lemon.

Russ
 
I know poach from simmer from boil . . .
methinks the problems is . . . . way too many people don't cook comma anymore . . .

shrimp get done many ways here -
- a shrimp boil: onion/celery/peppercorns/etc
- deep fried beer battered butterfly
- pan sauted for pasta/sauce/rice dish(es)
- skewered and broiled
- shrimp&clam in white sauce over pasta . . .
 
Boil and poach aren’t used interchangeably, if that’s what you’re asking. “Boil” when used in the name of a dish just means something that’s generally a sort of one-pot thing, prepared in water, though usually simmered more than boiled.

New England Boiled Dinner would be one example. Maybe it’s brought to a boil initially, but it’s mainly simmered.
 
TastyReuben said:
Boil and poach aren’t used interchangeably, if that’s what you’re asking. “Boil” when used in the name of a dish just means something that’s generally a sort of one-pot thing, prepared in water, though usually simmered more than boiled.

New England Boiled Dinner would be one example. Maybe it’s brought to a boil initially, but it’s mainly simmered.
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Therein lies the confusion.
 
Morning Glory said:
I agree. I had the same reaction. Can one of our American friends clarify this?
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SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
I’ve found the word ‘boil’ used in American recipes in place of the word poach. I have wondered if it’s assumed you’ll know the difference and that poach isn’t a common word?

Seafood boil (the name put me off because of the word ‘boil’) is surprisingly good and the seafood doesn’t seem to suffer in the slightest from its brief dip in the hottest waters. I suppose it really is all about timing.
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A lot of people wouldn't know the difference between boil and poach, and they are not used interchangeably. People do actually boil shrimp, with varying results depending on the cook.

To us:

Boil means the liquid is actively bubbling, with medium to large bubbles, at varying speeds.

Simmer means there are very small to small bubbles at a slow rate.

Poach means liquid is shimmering, or liquid is brought to a low boil and then heat turned off as someone mentioned above.
 
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Louisiana shrimp or crawfish boils are generally done in very large pots with very large baskets over propane burners. The pot is filled about 2/3 full of water, then a whole bunch of seasoning is added, either purchased or homemade. Once the water comes to a boil, small or chunked potatoes, cut garlic heads, and onions are added and cooked until about half done. Then, corn on the cob and andouille or another type of sausage are added, and cooked until almost done. Some people add whole mushrooms a few minutes after the corn and sausage go in, but we don't since DD left home. I love mushrooms, but cooked this way causes them to absorb copious amounts of the cooking liquid and they squish/squirt in your mouth. When everything is pretty much done, the shrimp or crawfish go in and are cooked until about half done, well unless you are my ex SIL, then gas is turned off and bags of ice or 2L soda bottles filled with water and frozen are added to the boil pot to cool off the liquid so that the seafood finishes cooking, but can stay in the pot to soak and be seasoned by the liquid. After 15-20 minutes at least, the ice bags/bottles are removed and the basket is pulled out slowly so you don't have a flood, then dumped out on a newspaper or brown paper lined table, and it's a free for all!

The reason I mentioned ex SIL is that he thinks the shrimp aren't done unless they are boiled for 15-20 minutes, then soaked. We quit buying seafood to take to his house after he ruined over $100 worth 20 years ago. Not sure what happened with him. His uncle's crawfish or shrimp boils always turned out great. In fact, the uncle gave Craig a couple of tips that improved his boils.

Maryland crab or shrimp boils really aren't. They are steamed, whether in a burlap bag lined pit dug on the beach or in the backyard, or done in a steamer pot with a fairly deep bottom part to hold the liquid, usually with a spigot for easy drainage when done, and a tall pot with holes in the bottom for the top, with a lid. Craig's family used a steamer pot with heavily salted water in the bottom, then layered the same vegetables as above, according to required cooking times, seasoning each layer with Old Bay, then used a propane burner to cook. Dumped on a table as above.

Small children had their shrimp, crawfish or crab cleaned for them until they were old enough to eat enough that an adult couldn't keep up with them and feed themselves. Adults were shown how to clean crawfish or crab 2 or 3 times at most, then you were on your own.
 
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