Cooking Shrimp Heads: Tips and Recipes for Getting the Most Flavor

Shrimp heads often get tossed in the trash, but they actually contain a ton of flavor. The head is packed with nutrients like selenium, zinc, iron and magnesium. Shrimp heads also contain glutamic acids that enhance umami flavors when cooked. Instead of wasting this flavor, learn how to cook shrimp heads to make seafood stock, sauces and buttery shrimp bites.

Benefits of Cooking with Shrimp Heads

Here are some of the benefits of using shrimp heads:

• They contain concentrated shrimp flavor from the fats, juices and cartilage.

• Cooking heads adds rich umami seafood taste to dishes.

• They contain nutrients like selenium, zinc, iron and magnesium.

• Shrimp heads make flavorful seafood stock for soups and risottos,

• They can be fried into crunchy snacks or used in shrimp head curry.

• Head juices enhance the flavor when making sauces like bisque.

So don’t throw away those heads – put them to good use!

Tips for Prepping and Cooking Shrimp Heads

Follow these tips for handling shrimp heads:

• Rinse heads well and use immediately or freeze until ready to use.

• Remove antennae, eyes and mouth parts before cooking.

• Smash heads with a mallet to release juices and flavor.

• Simmer in seafood stock 20-30 minutes to extract flavor.

• Pan fry in oil for 2-3 minutes until heads are crispy.

• Roast heads at 400°F for 15 minutes to caramelize flavors.

• Add to curries, stir fries or fritters for texture and crunch.

• Use heads for shrimp head tacos by frying with taco seasoning.

Make Seafood Stock with Shrimp Heads

Shrimp heads make amazing stock perfect for seafood risottos, soups and sauces.

Ingredients:

• Shrimp heads and shells from 2 lbs shrimp
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Water to cover
• Bay leaves, peppercorns, salt

Instructions:

1. In a stock pot, combine all ingredients and add enough water to cover by a few inches.

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Strain out solids and let stock cool before use.

4. Use in seafood dishes for rich, shrimp-infused flavor.

Make Shrimp Head Curry

Crunchy fried shrimp heads pair great with curries. Try this easy shrimp head curry recipe.

Ingredients:

• 20-30 shrimp heads, cleaned
• Oil for frying
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 can coconut milk
• Chopped cilantro

Instructions:

1. Remove eyes and antennae from shrimp heads.

2. Fry heads in oil for 2-3 minutes until crispy.

3. Saute onion, garlic and ginger until soft.

4. Add spices and fry 1 minute more.

5. Pour in coconut milk and simmer 10 minutes.

6. Add fried heads and cook for 5 more minutes.

7. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

How to Make Shrimp Head Sauce

Simmering shrimp heads into a seafood stock creates an incredible base for sauces. Try this easy shrimp head sauce for pasta or vegetables.

Ingredients:

• Heads and shells of 1 lb shrimp
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 cups white wine
• 4 cups water or stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp peppercorns

Instructions:

1. Smash shrimp heads with a mallet.

2. Simmer smashed heads, vegetables and spices in wine and water for 30 minutes.

3. Strain out solids, reserving liquid.

4. Simmer liquid until reduced by half to make sauce.

5. Finish with lemon juice, butter and parsley.

6. Toss with linguine or vegetables for rich, shrimp flavor.

Fried Shrimp Head Bites

Fried shrimp heads are a crispy, fishy snack you can dip in spicy mayo.

Ingredients:

• 20 shrimp heads, cleaned and deveined
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Lemon wedges

Instructions:

1. Remove eyes and antennae from heads.

2. Mix flour and spices in a bowl.

3. Dredge heads in flour mixture until coated.

4. Fry in oil at 350°F for 2-3 minutes until crispy.

5. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

6. Squeeze lemon over fried heads and serve.

FAQs About Cooking Shrimp Heads

Should you eat shrimp heads?

Yes, shrimp heads are edible and contain lots of flavor. Try frying them or using them for stock.

Is shrimp head waste healthy?

Shrimp heads provide nutrients like selenium, zinc, iron and magnesium so they are very healthy to eat.

Do you need to remove eyes?

For appearance, you can remove the eyes before cooking. But it’s not necessary if heads will be fried or simmered in a sauce.

What’s the yellow stuff in shrimp heads?

The yellow substance is the hepatopancreas or liver and digestive glands. It has a strong shrimp flavor so is great when making stock.

Can you eat raw shrimp heads?

It’s not recommended to eat raw shrimp heads due to food safety concerns. Always fully cook shrimp heads before eating.

Shrimp heads are too delicious to waste! Use these recipes to transform them into rich seafood stock, spicy curries, or crispy fried snacks. Just be sure to remove eyes and clean properly before cooking. With powerful umami flavor and crunch, cooking shrimp heads maximizes nutrients and flavors.