How Long You Should Sous Vide Shrimp For The Perfect Texture

For something that finishes lightning fast (although we have yet to test that electric phenomenon as a cooking method), there sure are a lot of ways to cook shrimp. Crunchy, golden, deep-fried shrimp is always a winner, but we also love those little crustaceans even more simply prepared and paired with an easy cocktail sauce. The sous vide treatment is an excellent method for when your seafood bites need to be perfect in and of themselves, with little more than condiments to forgive any little imperfections. Once you've gotten your appliances in place, you can cook your shrimp sous vide in as little as 15 minutes at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for a fresh flavor and a buoyant texture that staves off any of the toughness you might risk with less-precise heating implements.

A sous vide works by bathing a vacuum-packed (or close enough) item in water at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time. No tricks; that's it — well, other than the need for a little extra equipment and the requirement to keep the liquid agitating. A vacuum sealer is clutch to keep you from having to improvise with resealable plastic bags, and an immersion circulator that regulates said time and temp is worth the investment to keep you from jumping through DIY hoops. But, once all that's squared away, you're ready to make shrimp sous vide. You could do little more than pat them dry, seal them up, and basically boil 'em. Or, of course, you could do so much more.

Once you've gotten the timing right, you can zhuzh up your shrimpies with all kinds of tasty flavors. You certainly want to keep it simple for that shrimp cocktail, adorning them with little more than a brush of butter, salt, pepper, a spritz of lemon, and maybe a shake of Old Bay. But the vacuum encasement is intended to lock in all that accompanies whatever's within, so you may as well see how much you can pack into the pouch in other cases.

More rich butter, plenty of smashed and minced garlic, finely chopped parsley, and the compulsory salt and pepper can create a more concentrated flavor than most of your stovetop shrimp scampi recipes, for example. You can also douse your shrimp in your favorite bloody mary mix before you heat them sous vide and top a salad or even skewer and serve as a garnish with the classic brunch cocktail itself. You can also consider a store-bought pesto for pairing with pasta, or a big squeeze of grapefruit and some fresh basil for a taste of summer any time of year. You may see recipes that call for different times and temps, but steer clear of anything over the 140-degree-Fahrenheit mark in any increment, at which point you may as well just toss 'em in the microwave and abide the chew toys it produces.