If you are thinking of a fine dish that includes this type of sea-food you might be interested in how to cook shrimp. Well firstly it is a good idea as the food item under discussion is high on calcium, iodine and protein content. When you are looking at how to cook shrimp, one thing you must focus on at the start itself is how to get the little things cleaned up. This is at times referred to as de-shelling the shrimp and involves the removal of its head, tail and outer shell. This is usually done by holding the head and removing the outer shell right up to the tail. Some prefer to keep the tail for presentation purposes but whether you keep the tail or remove it may also depend on the type of dish you are looking at preparing. When considering how to cook shrimp you may also need to look at deveining. This is the process through which you remove the vein or the digestive tract of these little creatures. This can be done my making a slight cut along the outer curve and pinching off the ribbon like digestive tract. If you are de-shelling, then you can easily remove it along with the tail.

When coming down to a closer look at how to cook shrimp, the list of dishes one can make is quite remarkably long. This is because it can be used as an additive to a variety of food preparations. You could look at how to cook shrimp on its own as an accompanying dish or how to cook shrimp as part of a salad or mixed fried rice.

These things can be fried, boiled, steamed, sautéed, grilled or boiled and each type of preparation induces a slight variation of flavor. That variation in flavor can also be achieved in the accompanying ingredients of the main dish. How to cook shrimp may also need to be looked at in the context of where you are as the ways of preparation in the west differ from the more spice induced preparations in the east.

Boiling, Steaming, Broiling

Though classically cooked by boiling, there are other ways to cook lobster.

Boiling

* Use two quarts of water for every pound of lobster.
* Use enough salt to approximate seawater–about one tablespoon for every quart of water.
* Put lobsters in the boiling water; when it returns to a boil, time for eight minutes. It will continue cooking in the shell, so when in doubt, removing early is better than overcooking.

Steaming

* Use a couple of inches of salted water in a large pot, and cook according to the directions for boiling.
* Dry flavorings, such as chili powder or Old Bay™ seasoning can be added to the lobster as it steams.

Broiling and Grilling

* After preparing the lobster for grilling (see sidebar), split it down the middle with a heavy chef’s knife.
* Use basting sauces, herbs, and spices for extra flavor when grilling or broiling.
* Cook for ten minutes on a hot grill. The shell will turn a charred red as it cooks; if it still seems underdone, tent the lobster with foil to allow it to fully cook off the direct heat.

Ingredients:

2 freshlobsters, 1 1/2 pounds each
1 cup melted unsalted butter
1 medium piece finely chopped onion
2 sprigs fresh chopped Italian parsley
250g fresh shrimps, peeled and devained, and roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups japanese bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped red and green bell peppers
1 pacl 7 grams AJINOMOTO GINISA All Purpose Seasoning Mix
Tabasco to taste
1 piece lemon
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup quickmelt cheese

Directions:
1. Put the lobster on its back, and hold firmly with one hand. Insert a sharp, heavy knife into the lobster where the head meets the body, and quickly slice through the entire length of the body and tail. Spread the lobster open. With your fingers, remove and discard the food sac near the head. Remove and reserve the tomalley and eggs, if present. Remove and discard the vein that runs down the middle of the tail. Crack the claws. Rinse the lobster under cold running water. Take out the meat and roughly chop then mix with the shrimps.
2. Sauté the onion, and bell peppers in some of the butter until soft but not browned. Add the shrimp and lobster meat and cook for 1 minute and season with AJINOMOTO GINISA All Purpose Seasoning Mix. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then add in the cream and quickmelt cheese. Then add the chopped parsley.
3. Divide the mixture evenly between the two lobsters, spreading the stuffing over the lobster shells. Mix the breadcrumbs parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and butter then top the stuffed lobsters with the creamed mixture.
4. Brush the tail, stuffing, and cracked claws with the remaining melted butter. Bake approximately 18 minutes in a 350-degree oven or until done.
5. Serve with lemon wedges and tabasco hot sauce.

Ingredients

1 cup flaked crab meat (you can buy this at the frozen section of the grocery)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon constarch
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon refined salt
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup shredded onions
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 peeled potatoes, finely diced
1/4 cup shredded celery
5 eggs

Directions

1. Beat eggs slightly and season with salt and pepper.
2. Beat all ingredients together. Set aside.
4. Heat wok then add oil.
5. Fry potatoes and set aside.
6. Saute garlic until brown then add vegetables, then add crab meat, salt, soy sauce, pepper and cornstarch. Set Aside to cool.
8. Heat non-stock frying pan in preparation for the omelet.
9. Pour in beaten eggs and cook. You will know the egg has cooked enough to proceed when the egg whites have actually turned white, the bottom is set and the top is a bit creamy.
10. When the crispy transparent egg edges start to pull away from the pan, this is the time to add the crab mixture.
11. Put your crab mixture in the omelet on one side only, in a half moon shape so it is easy to fold. Leave a little space around the omelet so the crab mixture won’t spill out of the sides.
12. Then fold the omelet in half. Use your spatula to left the omelet gently out of your pan and let it slide to a plate.

Here’s how to cook “Tempura Wonder”

Ingredients:
prawns
Kisu (white sillago fish or asuhos)
squid
eggplant
pumpkin
oil for deep-frying
For the sauce:

tempura sauce

daikon oroshi (a Japanese condiment)
ginger
matcha salt (salt with green tea)
For the tempura batter:

1 egg
1 liter ice water
flour, lightly-sifted

Directions:

To prepare the tempura, the shell, head and spine of the prawns.

Remove the skin and bones of the kisu.

Remove the skin and slice squid into 4 to 5 centimeter pieces.

Slice the eggplant lengthwise.

Peel and remove the seeds of the pumpkin and cut into bite-size pieces.

To prepare the tempura batter:
Combine 1 egg with 1 liter ice water.

Slowly mix in lightly sifted flour using chopsticks.

To fry:
Fill heavy pan or skillet to about 75 percent with oil.

Heat oil to 160-180ºC.

To check if the oil is ready, drop a small amount of batter into the pan.

If it floats, start frying the tempura.

Fry the hard vegetables first.

Dip the vegetable lighlty into the batter.

When the outer edges look cooked, turn over.

Repeat the procedure twice.

Remove cooked tempura and place on a rack to drain excess oil For the seafood dust seafood first with flour before dipping in batter.

Hold the prawn and fish by the tail when dipping in batter.

Turn over as each piece floats to the top.

Remove the cooked tempura and place on rack to drain excess oil.

Serve tempura individually.

Here’s how to prepare “Sinigang sa Bayabas”

Ingredients:

3 cups water
1 pouch Mama Sita’s Sinigang sa Bayabas (Guava Soup Base) Mix
1 pc Bangus or trout, scaled and sliced diagonally
2 cups Sitaw (long beans), cut in 2″ lengths

2 pcs long green pepper
1 bundle Kangkong (swamp cabbage)
salt to taste
patis (fish sauce) to taste

Directions:

Boil 3 cups of water. Add Mama Sita’s Sinigang sa Bayabas (Guava Soup Base) Mix and stir to dissolve. Simmer. Add fish. Cover, let boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add long beans and long green pepper. When almost cooked, add swamp cabbage. Simmer for two to three minutes. Add salt or fish sauce to taste. Serve with rice.

Here’s how to cook “Prawns Ceveche”

Ingredients:

150 gms. medium prawns, deveined
1 pc. flour tortilla
15 gms. avocado
15 gms. ripe mango
20 gms. mesclun
10 gms. onions

2 pcs. chili
5 gms. coriander
10 ml. olive oil
5 ml. worcestershire sauce
10 ml. catsup

Directions:

* Deep fry the tortilla to make a basket shape, set aside.

* Clean the deveined prawns and marinate in chopped onion, chili, coriander and catsup.

* After a few minutes, season the prawns in olive oil with the marinade; set aside.

* Prepare the salad by slicing the avocado and mango into a fan-shape.

* Place the sliced avocado and mango in the tortilla.

* Place the prawns on top and serve.

Here’s how to cook “Kapitan De Davao”

Ingredients:

200 gms. clams
200 gms. squid, sliced into rings
250 gms. alimasag, cut into four
100 gms. tuna belly, diced
150 gms. shrimps
2 tsps. turmeric powder
50 gms. garlic, finely chopped

30 gms. ginger, finely chopped
30 gms. lemon grass, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
oil
fish stock
1 cup fresh coconut cream

Directions:

Season seafood with salt and pepper, grill individually. Set aside. In medium saucepan, heat the oil; sauté the garlic, ginger and lemon grass. Add fish stock and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes or reduce the stock to 3/4 its volume. Thicken with roux for medium consistency. Pour the sauce on top, garnish with pepper and onions.

Here’s how to cook “Pinalamanang Pusit”

Ingredients:

1 k. big squids
3 pcs. tomatoes
2 pcs. onions
3 tbsp. calamansi

3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. black pepper
250 gms. spring onions
200 gms. chili garlic

Directions:

Clean squids removing skin and ink. Marinate squid in lemon juice and soy sauce. Cut tomatoes and onions into cubes. Mix calamansi juice, soy sauce, black pepper, tomatoes and onions. Stuff squid with mixture putting spring onions on the top. Seal squid with toothpick. Charbroil stuffed squid for 15 minutes. Serve with chili garlic sauce.

Here’s how to cook “Tuna Tinola”

Ingredients:

2 (184 gms.) cans tuna solid in vegetable oil, drained & reserve
Oil
¼ cup onions, sliced
1 tsp. ginger strips
4 cups water

1 sachet Ajinomoto Sabaw Fish Tinola
1 cup peppercorns, cracked
½ cup dahon ng sili, packed
1 sayote, sliced

Directions:

* In a large saucepan, heat oil from tuna.

* Saute onions and ginger.

* Pour in water then tinola mix, sayote and peppercorns.

* Allow to boil and cook until sayote is tender.

* Add tuna and sili leaves.

* Cover pan to let soup boil for about 1 minute before removing from heat.

* Serve hot.