Learn How to Peel and Devein Shrimp

If you've been purchasing pre-cooked or pre-cleaned shrimp, you need to break that habit stat.  Pre-cooked shrimp are usually overcooked and lack flavor (not to mention, you cannot add flavor either).  Raw shrimp that have already been cleaned can be used as a last resort but lack the luster of a freshly cleaned one (i.e. they have been mangled in the cleaning process).  

Peeling and deveining shrimp might seem intimidating for those of us who didn't grow up by the coast where shrimp was regularly on the menu.  The process can be a bit time consuming depending on how many shrimp you have but well worth the effort.  All you need is a paring knife or small kitchen sheers and a cutting board.  When you clean shrimp yourself, you'll have a more flavorful and attractive (for presentation purposes) crustacean.