# Nigella eats the whole thing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393 "2011-02-06T14:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/1 "2011-02-06T14:12:16Z")
Watching Nigella this morning. She made a dish that included putting whole (medium), unpeeled, head-on shrimp/prawns in the oven on a bed of potatoes for ~15 minutes. So when she took the dish out of the oven, she grabbed one of the shrimp by the tail, quickly pulled off the head, and crunched down on the body- shell, legs, and all. Who else eats it all? (I like 'em peeled.) ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/2 "2011-02-06T14:23:58Z")
I saw Adam Richmond from **Man Vs. Food** do that once. It was disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/3 "2011-02-06T14:43:55Z")
Nigella can chomp down on anything she damn well pleases. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/4 "2011-02-06T14:55:47Z")
I eat whole shrimp. The shells don’t taste like much but they do add a nice crunch. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/5 "2011-02-06T14:56:39Z")
I frequently eat shrimp like that. If they are small and soft (for example, sauteed), the shells are too, and the legs are tasty. If they are larger or fried then usually there is only the tail portion to deal with and I find that tasty, too. The only time I don’t eat all of the shrimp is for large, boiled, shrimp. The shell is too thick and the legs not particularly tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/6 "2011-02-06T15:43:56Z")
Were they de-veined? The few times I’ve been served shell-on shrimp they still had the veins, making them inedible. I cannot stand eating the gritty poop of whole shrimp. Gag. I could eat the shells before I could eat the poop vein. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/7 "2011-02-06T16:09:15Z")
Shrimp. Nigella. Hmm. I wanna [shrimp Nigella](http://debbmarie.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/i-heart-cooking-clubs-nigella-lawsons-cheesy-feet/). LGT her recipe for “cheesy feet,” little baked snacks. Nothing NSFW. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/8 "2011-02-06T16:35:44Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > Were they de-veined? The few times I’ve been served shell-on shrimp they still had the veins, making them inedible. I cannot stand eating the gritty poop of whole shrimp. Gag. I could eat the shells before I could eat the poop vein. My experience with ‘dirty’ shrimp is that if you can see the vein, then you may get gritty shrimp. I don’t recall ever seeing a small dirty shrimp. I wonder how they are cleaned? Purged like crawfish? ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/9 "2011-02-06T16:54:44Z")
There’s a sushi place here the serves deep-fried shrimp heads. They’re awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/10 "2011-02-06T17:01:34Z")
Salt-and-pepper shrimp. The whole shrimps, heads and all, fried 'til the shells are crunchy. The good thing about ordering them family style is that some other diners aren’t going to want them. 😃 I eat the heads first. And **ThelmaLou** : I eat the tails on breaded-and-fried shrimp. They’re crunchy and good, and why let them go to waste? ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/11 "2011-02-06T18:11:00Z")
If given the chance, I’d do that. Whenever I get shrimp with the tails left on, I just eat the tails too. Too much work to pry them off and they taste fine, just crunchy. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/12 "2011-02-06T19:37:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Salt-and-pepper shrimp. The whole shrimps, heads and all, fried 'til the shells are crunchy. The good thing about ordering them family style is that some other diners aren’t going to want them. 😃 I eat the heads first. > > And **ThelmaLou** : I eat the tails on breaded-and-fried shrimp. They’re crunchy and good, and why let them go to waste? Yea, pretty much what I was gonna say to a “T”. Only one thing extra to add… Be careful of the larger shrimp tails on the breaded shrimp. I ate some once and apparently didn’t quite masticate and reduce them to inert pieces, because they studded my bowlus and scratched my anus on exit. Same thing sometimes happens with sunflower seeds… can be painful, and kinda itches thereafter. But hey, at least I’m getting my fiber, right? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/13 "2011-02-06T19:40:24Z")
> [@nikonikosuru](#): > > Too much work to pry [shrimp tails] off… Pry? Probably is too much work. Just squeeze the tail and the meat pops right out, simple and easy. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/14 "2011-02-06T19:40:32Z")
I thought this was going to be about how Nigella actually eats everything she cooks (which I have undying respect for her for). And then comes back in the middle of the night for a snack. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Pantani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pantani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantani)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/15 "2011-02-06T19:59:53Z")
Mmmmm… Nigella muching down on “dirty shrimp”. I’ll be in my bunk. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/16 "2011-02-06T20:11:33Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > But hey, at least I’m getting my fiber, right? Well, calcium anyway. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/17 "2011-02-06T20:26:30Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Well, calcium anyway. I’m pretty sure it’s undigestable chitin… that’s why it makes for [morning glory](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mostinterestingfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/3.Morning-star.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mostinterestingfacts.com/technology/10-most-brutal-historical-weapons-in-war.html&usg=__9gHHjucJcxzr9rEqdzj8_cQLOYE=&h=442&w=644&sz=85&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=OTfXgkj7yMhvhM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=167&ei=dQNPTbTHB8WBlAfP3KHzDw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmorning%2Bstar%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3D5dW%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D580%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=114&vpy=111&dur=153&hovh=186&hovw=271&tx=192&ty=114&oei=dQNPTbTHB8WBlAfP3KHzDw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0) boluses. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nigella-eats-the-whole-thing/570393/18 "2011-02-06T20:50:06Z")
Salt and Pepper Shrimp, from Chinese restaurants, as Johnny L.A. mentions, is served this way, and is delicious. All the flavor is on the shell. I don’t eat the heads, though - I have \*some \*standards!