_shrimp To Remove Tail Shell Segment Recipes

_BEEF: TO TENDERIZE

Steps:

• Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda in 2 tablespoons water. Spread over beef. Let stand 1 hour.Or: Combine 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil, a pinch of sugar and a dash of pepper. Add mixture to beef shreds or slivers and toss. Let stand 1 hour. Or: Pound stewing beef lightly with the side of a cleaver blade or bottom of a glass, and pierce all over with a fork. Combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sherry and 1 teaspoon salt. Rub into meat. Let stand 1 hour, then braise. Or: Add 1 tablespoon brandy for every 2 cups of liquid in which red-simmered beef will cook.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_DUCK: TO BONE

Steps:

• Chop off the lower wings. Cut carefully downward along the spine, working close to the bone. Separate meat from bone without tearing either meat or skin. Lift one leg of duck and move it in all directions to loosen the thigh joint. Insert the knife point, hitting thigh joint lightly but firmly until joint and pelvis separate. Repeat with the other leg and with both shoulder joints to loosen. In the fleshier portions, such as breast and thighs, alternately cut and pull the meat away from the bones, to separate the flesh from the carcass. When meat and bones are completely separated, draw the bony neck out as far as possible through the skin. Chop neck off. Draw out the windpipe and esophagus. Remove as much tail bone as possible, but do not chop off tail. Carefully remove oil sacs near the tail. Wash duck in cold water. Hang by tail to drain thoroughly.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_SHRIMP: TO BUTTERFLY

Steps:

• Use large or jumbo shrimp. Shell and devein, leaving the tail shell intact. With a sharp knife, score each shrimp along its inner curve (do not cut all the way through), scoring each about three-quarters down its length, Tap shrimp lightly with the side of a knife to separate the halves then spread them open to form wings.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_CHICKEN: TO BONE

Steps:

• Make a lengthwise slit in the skin at the back of the neck, cutting downward to base of the neck. Loosen skin. Remove crop. Cut through neckbone. Roll back skin at shoulders. At wing joints, cut through sinews. Make a cut along the wing bone, following the bone closely with the knife. Push up the bone and cut it off at the second joint. (Don't remove bone from lower wings.) Slip knife along breastbone, one side at a time: separate meat from bone, pushing meat toward the back and cutting it loose crosswise at the back loosen the meat with the back of the knife, slipping it further off the body. Where legs join body, break the joints, cut through the sinews. The meat should now be inverted with the legs attached. Separate meat from carcass by cutting it wherever it's still attached. Loosen meat from thighs. Push bone up and cut off at first joint. Loosen meat of next leg section, by cutting along bone. Turn meat inside out to remove leg bone. The entire chicken should now be inside out. Turn it back to its original shape. (If boning a chicken seems too difficult, have the butcher do it, or leave the bones in. In the latter case, carve the chicken Western-style.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_CRABS: TO BOIL, STEAM OR SHELL

Steps:

• TO BOIL: Plunge the crabs, head down, in enough boiling water to cover. Add a crushed garlic clove then cook, covered, until done (about 15 minutes for a small crab, 30 minutes for a large one). TO STEAM: Place the crabs in a heatproof dish and cover with 5 to 6 slices fresh ginger root and 4 tablespoons sherry. Steam until done (15 to 30 minutes.) See How-To, _Steaming. TO SHELL: Remove and discard the tail or apron and force upper and lower shells apart. Discard soft, spongy parts. With nutcracker or hammer, lightly crush large claws or pincers. Then remove meat from shells and pincers, discarding the white cartilage.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_CORNSTARCH PASTE: TO THICKEN WITH

Steps:

• Blend the specified amount of cornstarch, cold water (and whatever seasonings may be called for in the recipe) to a smooth paste. Add gradually to the pan when directed and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens and is smooth. When the dish contains a fragile ingredient such as fresh bean curd, it's advisible to thicken the sauce first and then add that ingredient.NOTE: If the cornstarch paste is prepared in advance, always re-stir before using. Otherwise it will separate, with the solids sinking to the bottom.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_SHRIMP: TO BUY, STORE, DEVEIN OR SHELL

Steps:

• TO BUY: Choose those shrimp which are a translucent gray, tinged with blue (an opaque whitish color, tinged with pink, indicates that the shrimp aren't as fresh). Size in itself is no indication of superiority: while large or jumbo shrimp are generally required for "butterflying," the small and medium varieties are appropriate for most dishes and often have a finer texture and flavor.TO STORE: Place fresh unshelled shrimp, covered, in the meat section of the refrigerator. They will keep several days. TO SHELL AND DEVEIN: With shears or a sharp knife, cut shrimp along the back, cutting to-but not through-the last tail segment. Hold cut portion under cold running water to wash gritty vein away. (Or lift up vein with a toothpick and discard.) Strip off shell and legs, leaving the tail intact. TO DEVEIN SHRIMP IN ITS SHELL: Rinse shrimp first in lightly salted water then strip off and discard legs. Using a toothpick or tweezers, draw out the vein (the dark, gritty strip along the back) in one piece if possible. If this is too difficult, slit the shell along the back with a sharp knife or shears, and, using the knife point or a toothpick, remove the vein without loosening the shell. Rinse and dry shrimp.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_SHRIMP: TO REMOVE TAIL SHELL SEGMENT

Steps:

• Hold shrimp in one hand Pinch its tail between thumb and forefinger of the other hand. Press hard, then gently pull tail shell. It should slip right off, leaving the meat of the tail intact.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.