Sous Vide Shrimp

Shrimp cooked by traditional methods can be fantastic, but nailing the perfect temperature requires precision. Let them cook just a few seconds too long—whether poaching, searing, or grilling—and they go from tender and plump to rubbery and tough. With a sous vide cooker, you don't have this issue because that short window of time between perfect and overcooked stretches out to a good half hour or so.

Author

J. Kenji López-Alt

J. Kenji López-Alt is the Managing Culinary Director of Serious Eats, author of the James Beard Award-nominated column The Food Lab, and a columnist for Cooking Light. He lives in San Francisco. A New York native, Kenji cut his cooking chops the old-fashioned way by working his way up through the ranks of some of Boston's finest restaurants. With an education in science and engineering and as a former Senior Editor at Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen, Kenji is fascinated by the ways in which understanding the science of every day cooking can help improve even simple foods. He earned a James Beard award for his first book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, which he released in September 2016. It is available for purchase from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Prep Time: 00:20

Recipe Time: 00:30

Temperature Options:

Traditional poached texture with good bounce and a snappy, juicy bite.

140F / 60C

Translucent and semi-raw with a soft, buttery texture.

125F / 51.7C

Barely opaque, moist, juicy, and tender.

135F / 57.2C

Nearly opaque and very tender with a hint of firmness.

130F / 54.4C

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds large peeled shrimp (about 700g)
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Extra virgin olive oil or butter (optional)
• Aromatics such as garlic, shallots, tarragon, or parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Set Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to desired temp. Multiple options available to choose from in drop down menu.
2. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and the baking soda. Place shrimp in a heavy duty zipper-lock bag or a vacuum bag. If desired, add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30ml) olive oil or butter and aromatics. Remove all air from bag using the water displacement method or a vacuum sealer. Press shrimp into a single layer.
3. Add bagged shrimp to preheated water bath and cook for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour (the texture should show very little variation within this time frame).

Finishing Steps

1. Remove shrimp from bag to a paper towel-lined plates. Serve hot, or chill and serve cold.