How to Clean Prawns

Whether they are baked, au gratin, fried or blended with brandy, prawns are certainly much appreciated by those who love fish and all seafood! But the hardest part for many of us isn't cooking, but cleaning! So today we will discover together all the tricks to clean them perfectly!

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Identity Card of the Recipe

• 69 KCal Calories per serving

• Ingrediants

  • 400 g (8, large) of shrimp

  Materials Needed

  • Chopping board
  • Sharp knife
  • Scissors
  • Stick

  Preparation

  Did you know that
  For this recipe we purchased defrosted prawns.
  It is also possible to buy frozen shrimp: in this case, it is advisable to let them thaw slowly in the fridge for 6-8 hours before proceeding with cleaning.
  Remember that prawns can be shelled both before and after cooking: in this case, we suggest how to remove the shell before cooking.

  1. Rinse the shrimp in cold water.
  2. To remove entirely the carapace, first remove the head by simply bending it and pulling it until it detaches. Then remove the legs by grabbing them between the fingers and tearing them. Insert your fingers under the shell and detach it from the pulp, taking care not to break it. For a better presentation, you can leave a small piece of tail attached to the pulp.
  3. To remove the intestinal thread, gently cut the back with a knife and, with a stick, lift the black thread. Tear it gently, taking care not to break it, first removing it from the head part, then from the other end. The prawn is ready to be boiled or cooked in a pan.
  4. To clean the prawns only of the intestinal thread, thus leaving the carapace, proceed in this way instead. After washing, place the prawn on the cutting board, with its head facing us. Insert the scissors into the armor, then score the back. Insert a stick inside, into the cut created until it reaches the intestinal thread. Lift the intestine, pull it gently, first from the head side, then from the other side, being careful not to break it. At this point, cut the pulp of the prawn with the tip of a knife and follow the incision made with the scissors to open the pulp in two perfect halves. This procedure is usually followed to prepare the prawns au gratin in the oven.

  Deepening: nutritional properties of prawns
  Like all crustaceans, prawns are rich in high biological value proteins but low in fat. The amount of cholesterol is rather significant: 150 mg / 100 g.
  Prawns provide B vitamins and carotenoids (powerful antioxidants); they are rich in mineral salts (iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and calcium).
  They provide 85 Kcal / 100 g.

  Alice's comment - PersonalCooker

  With the tricks we have learned today, cleaning these crustaceans will no longer be a problem! For storage, you can decide to freeze them immediately after cleaning: in this case, however, freezing is only possible if the prawns are fresh (not defrosted). You can also decide to blanch them in water before freezing them: in this case, just a few seconds in water will be enough and your prawns will be ready to embellish seafood salads or shrimp cocktails.
  Also find out how to clean prawns.

  Nutritional values ​​and Health Comment on the recipe

  Prawns are foods of animal origin with a very low caloric intake; the energy comes mainly from proteins (with a high biological value), followed by carbohydrates and finally by lipids. Fatty acids are predominantly unsaturated (polyunsaturated), cholesterol is high and fiber absent.
  Prawns are suitable for any type of diet, except for the diet of the person suffering from hypercholesterolemia.