The Clever Method For Presenting A Fuller Plate Of Shrimp

Shrimp are one of the most versatile types of seafood because they're easy to cook and a little more affordable than other fish. They have a mild flavor, meaning you can toss them in any kind of sauce, but they can also be fried or steamed and just eaten on their own. Though less expensive than something like scallops or lobster, seafood still isn't cheap. If you want to build a nice shrimp presentation without breaking the bank, then the secret is to create fuller-looking shrimp that will take up more room on the plate, so you can buy fewer. To do this, just butterfly them.

Shrimp are thick but narrow, so a dozen of them can fit comfortably on a pretty small dish. However, when you butterfly them, you expand that surface area. After the shrimp are peeled and deveined, grab a pairing knife, and cut the shrimp almost in half, but don't cut all the way through. Keep the two sides connected, which will open the shrimp up and turn it into a butterfly shape. Now, you've doubled the width of the shrimp, helping them look much bigger.

Once the shrimp are opened up, you can serve them in a variety of ways. To make them look even larger, you can fry them up with a coating of breading or coconut flakes. That extra layer will add to their size. You can also use the butterflied shrimp as the base for a stuffed shrimp dish, or just toss them in a little garlic butter.

When serving the shrimp, add a bed of decorative kale or lettuce. This will help eliminate the white space on a dish, making the plate look even fuller. If there are a few open areas and not enough shrimp to fill them, don't shy away from lemon wedges. Lemon pairs well with almost any kind of seafood, and the wedges will also make the plate more decorative. Depending on how you serve them, a ramekin of sauce can also take up some dish space. Fried coconut shrimp pair well with a spicy-sweet chili sauce, and seared or grilled shrimp go nicely with a little cocktail sauce.