Why Your Garlic Butter Shrimp Turns Rubbery—Do This Instead | Japanese Chef, by SAMUKICHI -Japan food studio- on YouTube. 5 min 27 s.
- Video length
- 5 min 27 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 6
What you need
Steps
Peel the shrimp and pull out the vein. Pat each one very dry with paper towels, then toss with 0.8 g salt for 200 g of shrimp. Dry shrimp brown instead of steaming.
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat with a thin film of cooking oil. Lay the shrimp in flat, one at a time, with space between them. Do not move them once they touch the pan.
Let the first side turn golden, then flip once and cook the second side briefly. Take the shrimp out while still slightly translucent in the middle, since they finish in the sauce.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Add 18 g unsalted butter and 2 cloves of grated or finely chopped garlic. Cook until the garlic smells sweet, not brown, then splash in a little water to deglaze the pan.
Stir in 3 g soy sauce, then put the shrimp back in the pan. Toss for 20 to 30 seconds to coat them in the garlic butter, no longer.
Take the pan off the heat and squeeze a little lemon over the top. Serve right away, because the shrimp keep cooking from the heat of the pan.
Tips and common mistakes
Pat the shrimp dry twice if they still feel wet, since moisture is the main reason they turn pale and rubbery.
Do not crowd the pan. Cook in two batches if needed so each shrimp touches the hot surface.
Keep the heat low when the butter and garlic go in, because burnt garlic turns the whole sauce bitter.
Wash your hands, board and knife with hot soapy water after handling raw shrimp.
Questions
Why do my garlic butter shrimp turn out rubbery?
They are usually cooked too long or at too low a heat, so they steam instead of searing. Sear one side, flip once, and pull them out while still slightly translucent.
Can I use frozen shrimp for this?
Yes, but thaw them fully in the fridge first and dry them very well. Wet shrimp will not brown and will release water into the butter.
How do I know when the shrimp are done?
They turn opaque and pink with a firm, springy feel, and the thick end curls. This takes only a couple of minutes per side in a hot pan.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
