Q&A for How to Prepare Shrimp for Cooking

They're OK to eat, but not that tasty; plus, they're hard.

I wouldn't think so. Leaving them in the shell keeps them moist, and the shell itself has a ton of flavor that cooks into the shrimp.

No. First you pull off their shell and twist off their heads. If you are making ceviche, then marinate them in lime juice to cook them.

From the culinary point of view, they are the same, it's mainly just a different name from country to country. However, anatomically, they are different animals. Shrimp have the second segment overlapping the others, while prawns have shells overlapping the next one only. Shrimp have one pair of pincers, prawns have 3 pairs. The head barb on the shrimp is smaller than the prawn. Finally most shrimp are from the sea and most prawns are from fresh water, though they can be found in both.

If you're making a bisque or chowder (etc) this will enhance the flavour, but it won't make a difference for fried shrimp or shrimp cocktail.

I always clean the vein on the top and bottom of shrimp. The vein at the top is the part of the intestinal tract of the shrimp. It contains waste and sand. The vein on the bottom is part of the circulatory system (blood) and it is harmless.

It's hard, unless you skewer them in advance with a skewer. When you cook them, they will feel hot and of course, this heat will curl their bodies. So your only recourse is to use a skewer that keeps them in the shape desired.