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I follow two methods of pretreating shrimp before using in recipes.  One is outlined in Serious Eats recently but that's been a standard for a long time in many Chinese style cooking.   This one uses 1 tsp salt to 1/2 tsp baking soda, massage, and let it rest a bit and wash off completely.

Another one is the Japanese method.  For 100 gram of shrimp, mix 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp potato starch (katakuriko or cornstarch), and 2 T of water.  Massage well.  This method gets of of griminess  of shrimp. After letting it sit for about 5 min, wash off completely before using shrimp. This method also makes very plump tasting shrimp that gives lots of snap to shrimp.  Ironchef Chin-san uses this method.   

I don't know which method I like best.  I should try side by side soon.    Do you use any method for shrimp?

I can't use the comment section of Serious Eats for some reason and never post there. 

I just use a simple brine solution 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 200 mls water to 300 g shrimp..20 minutes, drain, rinse ..generates beautifuly moist shrimp! Will try your methods next time as a comparison.

I usually sprinkle salt over the shelled shrimp, rub it all over and rinse and repeat several times to remove the slimminess, it does give a snap to the shrimp. Just salt, no corm starch and I don't measure.

Barb_N - I too buy frozen peeled green/uncooked shrimp - and the brining really makes them way better - just 20 minutes!! Almost as good as fresh from the trawler! I've not tried the velveting (the cornflour method) except when making Chinese stir fries...

@Barb N:  Rick Bayless has a treatment for frozen shrimp that does seem to improve them in almost any dish.  It involves blanching them with the juice of limes to the water, I dimly recollect.  Can't remember if the tip is in Authenic Mexican or Mexican Everyday.  Will update at some point, but am settled in for Mets game...

The two methods I mentioned works for all types of shrimp.  The Japanese method of using potato starch or constarch with salt gets rid of dirty outside as well making shrimp cleaner.  Makes them snappier when cooked.  It's so simple all you do is add some starch, some salt and water to shrimp, massage a bit and rinse off completely.  I buy all my shrimp in the US frozen from either Alaska or Gulf Coast online.  I never buy defrosted shrimp in the store since they were most likely first frozen and defrosted and I don't trust the source.

These are really useful to know.  Melissa Clark's roasted shrimp with broccoli is one of my standby dinners as I always have shrimp in the freezer and broccoli in the fridge. I had never heard of pre-treating frozen shrimp but will do so next time I make it.

Originally Posted by: Rinshin

I buy all my shrimp in the US frozen from either Alaska or Gulf Coast online.  I never buy defrosted shrimp in the store since they were most likely first frozen and defrosted and I don't trust the source.

Rinshin, which online vendors do you use to buy frozen shrimp?

FishEx, Vitalchoice, Great Alaska Seafood, Captain Jack's Alaska and giovannisfishmarket.com in Morro Bay.  Giovanni's shipping to California residents are good price. 

Since I've been buying from these places for a while I get emails for their specials that's very hard to beat.