I used to mix them with those “lipton pasta & sauce” bag things, parmesan flavor. Like a shrimp alfredo.
I thaw them cold running water and then fry them a pan with olive oil and butter and then squeeze a piece of lemon over them for a quick scampi. I also like to add some scallops with them if I have them.
That’s my plan, except without the “salad”.
I was at a friend’s house, and he said, “I’m going to make myself a salad for lunch”. And he put two leaves of lettuce on a plate, added three large shrimp, three stuffed grape leaves, some olives, and some berries. I looked at it, and said, I’d call that “lunch”, on a piece of lettuce.
This is one of those regional-but-famous things, so apologies if this is obvious: do you have Old Bay on hand?
Great for all manner of shellfish, if you don’t mind some mild spiciness.
Speaking of scampi, (which should also have lots of garlic, of course, and a little white wine), I learned somewhat of a pro-tip the other day and it really elevated the flavor of the dish.
If you have the tails and shells, put those in a pan with a little drizzle of olive oil. Saute them a bit in the oil, then add a 1/2 cup of white wine to the pan and let it all simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Then strain it and pour the liquid in with your scampi. It adds a ton of wonderful flavor.
Same with me. This is my favorite usage for ready-to-eat frozen shrimp. I really like them on a Caesar salad in particular, probably my favorite protein to put on one.
No. Make your own, it’s so much better. Ketchup, prepared horseradish, and some lemon juice to taste. I could eat half a pound of shrimp cocktail with that sauce.
My own trick is to make cocktail sauce (ketchup and horseradish) and my own recipe of tartar sauce (which is too complicated to get into here, but it doesn’t have pickles or relish in it). I call it “shrimp sauce”. I can eat any kind of shrimp with it. (Assuming I’m just eating shrimp on its own, and not in a dish like a salad or pasta.)
Am i the only one who likes to eat shrimp on their own, without a sauce? I mean, i like them in several dishes that include a sauce, but i also think they are really nice just on their own. (And i guess i don’t much care for many of the standard “seafood” sauces, like tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.) When there’s a tray of shrimp surrounding some sauce at a party, i always just take the shrimp.
There is nothing wrong with it, but it’s somewhat bland for my tastes without a sauce or at least some kind of seasoning (in the case of grilled or sauteed shrimp)
I doubt you are the only person but you are the first I’ve met.
I love shrimp and I would not mind eating one plain but why would I when there are so many simple ways to make them even more delicious? Of course, to each their own. If that’s how you like them then great! Do that.
I feel the same. I like them plain just fine and will eat and enjoy them if that’s how they come. but I also appreciate a bit of light enhancement.
I counted, and just on my computer, I have 59 different recipes for shrimp. Some with beans, some with lemon, some with corn, zucchini, tomatoes, curry, coconut milk, cream and on and on. Shrimp are versatile, and I appreciate that about them.
Now, crab? The only way I ever want that is cooked fresh and whole in boiling water as salty as the sea. That’s it. No butter, no lemon, no other sauces or enhancements. For me, crab (Dungeness) stands on its own.
We’re all different!
My wife likes shrimp without sauce.
The only way I eat shrimp without sauce is if it’s scampi or something else that’s basically in sauce already, so I guess actually never without sauce.
I wish my husband ate seafood.
Fresh Atlantic lobster, too. Although I’ll never turn down a shellfish with ginger and scallions dish, and I’ve had it with dungeness crab in Vancouver and with lobster in Boston. But if either is served with lemon and melted butter, i leave the lemon and butter alone, and just enjoy the delicious shellfish.
I’m happy to have shrimp in my Indian curry or my Chinese stir fry. They are good with scampi, too. But i feel like cocktail sauce or old bay totally overwhelms the gentle, sweet flavor of shrimp.
One of my happiest and tastiest lobster memories was from a scuba dive trip I took to Catalina Island in the early 80s. The diving is spectacular there. On the morning of our last full day, we left a tasty rotten meat treat at the sea bottom near our diving location for the local residents. That afternoon, we returned and captured our spoils: 4 Pacific (clawless) lobsters. (There were more, but we only wanted 2 apiece.) The rules state they must be taken by hand. It was my first time harvesting them. They kick like hell! I nearly dropped mine when I grabbed them, I was so startled by the kicking – but want of dinner prevailed.
We wheedled the use of a large pot out of one of the motel staff, boiled water with salt on a hot plate and cooked those 4 crustaceans. The repast was rounded out with a can of Planter’s cocktail peanuts and a shared bottle of pretty delicious California Cabernet Sauvignon. A meal for the ages, and those lobsters were fabulous!
That sounds fabulous. Lobster needs to be really fresh and healthy to taste good. Crab is best fresh, too, which is why i eat lobster in the Northeast and crab in the Northwest.
Agreed on both counts. Although flash freezing techniques now are pretty good if one lives in the middle of the country and can’t regularly hit a coast to indulge seafood cravings. I’d make do with that if it’s what was available, and not be unhappy. 
My favorite food memory of all time was on a beach in Mexico when I was 11 or 12 years old and someone was grilling big prawns right there on the beach. Nothing else going on with them. Just grilled. I ate them right off the grill and to this day they stick in my head as the best thing I have ever eaten. I enjoyed them so much. Granted it is an old memory but I think that says something. 45+ years later and that is still stuck in my head. I still have the “picture” of that spot in my head too.
Simple can be awesome when done well (which can be harder to do than one might think). I still like cocktail sauce though. Heck, not sure I have ever met a shrimp dish I didn’t like (well…there was one time but just once…a story for another day).
Nothing wrong with that but I’d find plain shrimp too bland for my taste. When eating cold shrimp as a cocktail, I find a good cocktail sauce with a decent dose of hot horseradish to be the perfect accompaniment.
When grilling shrimp, I typically marinate them briefly in a mixture of a specific tangy vinaigrette-style Japanese salad dressing with a touch of teriyaki. If the shrimp aren’t very large, I peel them first and put them on skewers, alternating with scallops if I happen to have them, and marinate the whole thing. It works well because the grill time is about the same. Very tasty with Basmati rice. When serving very large jumbo shrimp, I find that a little dish of melted garlic butter works well. The taste and texture of large shrimp is reminiscent of lobster.
In my experience, once you open that bag, the clock is ticking, even if they go straight back into the freezer. No matter how well you try to reseal them, they dry out and get freezer burnt pretty quick.
I live in typically single digit (or low teens) humidity, so it might be a localized problem. But eat em up quick!