Shrimp Capers Recipes

Shrimp has to be shelled and cleaned before use in any recipe. This involves removal of the head, shell, tail, and "sand vein" (digestive tract). The shell can be removed by holding the tail and gently prying off the shell from around the body. Depending on the preparation, the tail is removed completely or left attached for presentation purposes. There are two ways to remove the "vein". If the shrimp is a medium to large size, one can make a shallow cut lengthwise down the outer curve of the shrimp's body, and take out the vein using a pointed utensil. If the shrimp is small, once the tail has been removed, the dark ribbon-like digestive tract can be pinched between two fingers and gently pulled out.

The following are some shrimp caper recipes:

Shrimp and Capers Topped Toast

Ingredients

• 2 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 3 tbsp capers
• 1 loaf semolina or chewy bread
• 1 cup seafood stock, clam juice or chicken stock
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tsp anchovy paste
• A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp cold butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup dry white wine

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Bake the slices of bread in the oven till lightly toasted and golden brown. In a large skillet, heat about ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. First put in the chopped onion and sauté for a minute, and then add the anchovy paste into the skillet and stir it for another minute. Then add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the capers, minced garlic, salt and pepper to the pan and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and continue to stir on a lowered heat. Next, add the stock and cook on raised heat. Lastly, add the butter, parsley and lemon juice and stir for another minute.

Place the slices of bread in a serving dish and drizzle with remaining extra-virgin olive oil. Place generous helpings of the shrimp and pan juices on the bread and serve!

Shrimp, Capers and Tomatoes with Capellini

Ingredients

• Reserved sautéed garlic shrimp
• 1½ tbsp drained capers
• 2 small tomatoes, roughly chopped
• ¾ lb capellini
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Heat water in a large pot, add the capellini and salt to taste. Cook until al dente. Remove the capellini from the water and drain. Save about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the capellini and stir. Next, add the sautéed garlic shrimp with their juices along with the tomatoes, capers and the saved pasta cooking water. Continue to stir so that all the ingredients get well mixed. Your shrimp should get well heated. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Cold Shrimp Salad with Capers

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• ½ medium red onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 40 large uncooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 2 tbsp minced fresh dill
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Take a large, heavy skillet and heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add shrimp and sauté until fully cooked. Put in the garlic, and stir and cook for under a minute for the flavor to set in. Take it out into a dish and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Mix the onion and salt and place in a colander. Leave it for about 15 minutes or until wilted. Rinse out the onions and dry with paper towels. Place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and add in the mayonnaise. Add the shrimp and onion and toss till completely coated with dressing. The salad is ready to be served.

While capers are known for being rich in antioxidants, shrimp is high in calcium, iodine and protein. Though a source of cholesterol, many consider shrimp to be healthy for the circulatory system because it lacks significant levels of saturated fat, thus improving the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol and lowering triglycerides.