PAN-GRILLED JUMBO SHRIMP
Shrimp nomenclature varies from store to store, and what is extra-large at the Stop & Shop may be colossal at the Food Emporium. You need to know the usual number of crustaceons per pound for the various sizes of shrimp:
- small (sometimes called cocktail or salad shrimp), 51 to 60 per pound
- medium, 41 to 50 per pound
- large, 31 to 40 per pound
- extra-large, 21 to 30 per pound
- jumbo, 11 to 20 per pound (also called colossal)
- super-colossal, 10 or fewer per pound
For grilling, larger sized shrimp are preferred. If you are using skewers, larger shrimp thread more successfully. If you’re not, larger shrimp are less likely to fall through the grate.
Grilling shrimp in their shells protects the delicate meat from burning. The shrimp is more succulent, albeit messier to eat. If tidiness is a concern, you can shell them before you grill them, or after they’re grilled but before they’re sauced. If you prefer the great out of doors to the stovetop, grill the shrimp on the lightly oiled rack of a charcoal grill, covered if using a gas grill, for about the same period (7 to 8 minutes total), turning once.
These can be appetizers, a first course or entrees.
