_SHRIMP: TO BUY, STORE, DEVEIN OR SHELL

Steps:

• TO BUY: Choose those shrimp which are a translucent gray, tinged with blue (an opaque whitish color, tinged with pink, indicates that the shrimp aren't as fresh). Size in itself is no indication of superiority: while large or jumbo shrimp are generally required for "butterflying," the small and medium varieties are appropriate for most dishes and often have a finer texture and flavor.TO STORE: Place fresh unshelled shrimp, covered, in the meat section of the refrigerator. They will keep several days. TO SHELL AND DEVEIN: With shears or a sharp knife, cut shrimp along the back, cutting to-but not through-the last tail segment. Hold cut portion under cold running water to wash gritty vein away. (Or lift up vein with a toothpick and discard.) Strip off shell and legs, leaving the tail intact. TO DEVEIN SHRIMP IN ITS SHELL: Rinse shrimp first in lightly salted water then strip off and discard legs. Using a toothpick or tweezers, draw out the vein (the dark, gritty strip along the back) in one piece if possible. If this is too difficult, slit the shell along the back with a sharp knife or shears, and, using the knife point or a toothpick, remove the vein without loosening the shell. Rinse and dry shrimp.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.