You know those teeny tiny shrimp that you're supposed to thaw under warm water and throw on your salad?
Can you cook with them? Or will they get to hard and dry?
I was going to make orzo and asparagus with turkey sausage, but I have 2 packages of these silly shrimp and thought about using them instead of the sausage, I just don't know how well that would work out ;)
@Krista, I was going to cook with them. but maybe if I did like you said, then toss them in with the orzo and asparagus?
the small shrimp don't handle heat well...unless they are being deep fried! :)
I would fix everything and then add them in at the end - maybe the last two minutes to heat them up.
Best to prepare your recipe and then throw them in at the very end, after you've taken it off the heat. The heat from the orzo will warm them through without overcooking them. It's not going to give you the oil the sausage would have, so you may need to add a little olive oil. ANd it wont infuse it with flavor, so, you could maybe add a little more seasoning.
I agree with throwing them in at the end. They are already cooked and will get rubbery if over cooked.
They will dry-out if you add heat. Shrimp are so delicate and fast-cooking that if you "cook" pre-cooked mini shrimp they will taste like rubber!
I have "marinated" them for a few minutes in olive oil, salt & pepper and a little lemon juice before tossing them on salad to give them a little flavor!
I use the salad shrimp in a green salad. I also use them in shrimp alfredo. I prefer to use large shrimp, but I have used the salad shrimp alone and with larger shrimp.
I have used the salad shrimp as part of the meat in a chef's salad or when making a seafood salad.
Good luck with you and yours.
