Frozen Peeled Shrimp Meat

Heads off, shells off and the vein drawn, so the meat goes from the bag to the pan with nothing to trim. The ingredient list is short: shrimp and water, nothing else.

The Catch

White shrimp from South American coastal farms, harvested at size and hand-peeled the same day in a cold room, then frozen flat so the pieces stay separate.

Specification

• Net weight — 2 kg per pack
• Grade — 150 to 200 pieces per kilogram
• Form — peeled, deveined, tail off, raw
• Glaze — light, under 10 percent water glaze

State

Raw, individually frozen, no additives beyond water. Because there is no shell to protect them, the pieces are more delicate than whole prawns and reward a quick hand.

Storage and Thawing

Keep at -18 degrees Celsius or colder and use within nine months. Thaw in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for four to six hours, then drain and pat dry. Never thaw under running water; the meat takes up water and turns rubbery on the pan.

On the Plate

• Stir through a soft-set omelette over low heat and pull the pan while still glossy.
• Stir-fry with garlic and a little salt for ninety seconds, no more.
• Drop into hot pot or soup at the very end of cooking.
• Pan-sear in butter and pile onto a salad or a bowl of noodles.

They turn opaque pink-white when done. Cook them fast and hot rather than long and low.

Shipping and Cold Chain

Shipped frozen in an insulated liner on a next-day service. Because the pieces are loose, shake the bag on arrival: a solid block means it has thawed and refrozen in transit.

Allergen: contains crustacean shellfish. Packed in a facility that also handles fish and molluscs.