You Might Be Throwing Out The Most Flavorful Part Of Shrimp, According To Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver broke into the world of culinary television over 20 years ago when he came into our homes as the Naked Chef, boiling recipes down to their bare minimum to make clean, healthy meals aimed at home cooks (via IMDb). The celebrity chef went on to build a culinary empire that included restaurants and cookbooks, and even took on the issue of childhood obesity. If you are a fan of Oliver's food philosophy and recipes, you may follow him on social media where he has continued to share tips and tricks that make cooking a little easier.
Recently, Oliver shared on Twitter that the majority of us are throwing out the most flavorful part of the shrimp. And no, it isn't the tails of these seafaring creatures, which were purportedly once found in a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. No, there is another part of the shrimp that will enhance your whole eating experience once you realize you should be consuming it.
The head has lots of flavorful juices
"Most of the delicious, sweet flavour is in the head of the prawn so don't waste them add them into your pan with the pancetta," Oliver tweeted. If eating shrimp heads sounds daunting, the Seasoned Advice forum kindly points out that you aren't really eating them, but rather "sucking the liquid out of the head."
If you cruise through the comments on Reddit, you will find that some people do eat the entire shrimp, head and all. "Fried shrimp heads are totally awesome. Exoskeleton included. Every part is edible including the eyes and the long antenna," one Redditor writes. They go on to describe a Japanese dish called "sweet shrimp," or Amaebi (via SushiFAQ). "It's a two part dish. You'll get the body with a tangy sweet sauce mounted on rice and later you'll get the head right out of the fryer," the Redditor writes.
Clearly Oliver knows what he's talking about. Not to mention, NBC News reports the cost of "food eaten at home" is up 3.7 percent in 2021 compared to prices in 2020, and the United States Department of Agriculture reports food waste now comprises between 30 and 40 percent of the food supply. Considering these factors, Oliver's tip is both flavorful and resourceful.