Uncooked shrimp can be purchased from the seafood section of your grocery store at a cheaper price than cooked and shelled shrimp. Once unfrozen, fresh shrimp are highly perishable and are only good for a couple of days. For this reason, buying frozen shrimp may be a better choice. Frozen shrimp which still contain the shell will also have a better flavor than those without shells.

Remove the frozen shrimp from the grocery store packaging. Put them into a bowl and cover it with a lid. Allow the shrimp to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

Pour 2 liters of water into the saucepan. Add 2 tbsp. of sea salt to the water and bring the water to a boil.

Add the shrimp to the boiling water. Reduce heat to medium low and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let the shrimp simmer for three to six minutes.

Test the doneness of the shrimp by carefully removing one of them from the water and taking a knife to cut it open. It should be white in color and opaque throughout.

Remove the shrimp from the pan by pouring them into a strainer. Run cool water over the shrimp to stop them from cooking further. Allow the shrimp to cool thoroughly before removing the shell.

Remove the shell of each shrimp by twisting the head and pulling the legs off. Holding the tail, lift the shell upwards and away from the body. Remove the tail or keep on for decorative purposes.

If your frozen shrimp have not been deveined, remove the vein by using the shrimp deveiner or a small knife. Run the deveiner or knife lengthwise down the spine from the head to tail. This will allow the vein to easily be removed with your fingers. Deveining the shrimp can be done before or after cooking the shrimp.