UPFRONT/EAT
Shopping for Shrimp? Size Matters
REMEMBER THAT George Carlin routine where he riffs on the absurdity of the phrase “jumbo shrimp”? In fact, there are many different sizes of shrimp (based on the number per pound), and that’s a good thing. The pros at 200-plus-year-old seafood purveyor Fulton Fish Market note that different sizes of shrimp are better in different recipes and can require different cooking methods. Here are some commonly available sizes, according to shellfish supplier LobsterAnywhere.com, along with great ways to use each. (As there are no industry naming standards, quantities listed at your market may vary slightly.)
SIZE: SUPER COLOSSAL
NUMBER: 12 or fewer shrimp per pound
PERFECT FOR MAKING: Showstopping main dishes, such as stuffed or grilled shrimp
SIZE: COLOSSAL
NUMBER: 15 or fewer
PERFECT FOR MAKING: Shrimp cocktail and grilled kebabs
SIZE: JUMBO
NUMBER: 16–25
PERFECT FOR MAKING: Shrimp and grits and coconut shrimp
SIZE: LARGE
NUMBER: 26-30
PERFECT FOR MAKING: Shrimp scampi and paella
SIZE: MEDIUM
NUMBER: 41-50
PERFECT FOR MAKING: Stir-fries and fritters
SIZE: SMALL
NUMBER: 51-60
PERFECT FOR MAKING: Soups and stews —Vonnie Williams
MY FAVORITE TOOL
CRINKLE CUTTER
This is the best tool I’ve found for letting little kids help make dinner. It’s child-friendly and—unlike flimsy plastic kids’ knives—good for cutting hard things like potatoes and carrots. Older cooks who have trouble handling knives may find it useful for chopping vegetables too. —Erin Gleeson, cookbook author, The Forest Feast Road Trip