PERSPECTIVE: Cooked shrimp for the first time?

Hey everyone, what's up?

Perspective

What comes to your mind when you hear that a friend just cooked shrimp for the first time?

Are you curious how it went? Or maybe you’ve never cooked shrimp yourself either? For some people, it might seem like a normal thing, but for others (like me), it’s a whole new experience. Not everyone loves seafood, and not everyone enjoys cooking either. But for me, trying something new in the kitchen always feels like a little adventure. And guess what? Just yesterday, I cooked seafood for the very first time!

Yes, you read that right, my first time cooking shrimp! I went to the local market and bought some fresh shrimp at a surprisingly affordable price. I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing at first, so I looked up a few recipes online. Turns out, cooking shrimp isn’t as hard as I thought. Compared to squid (which needs to be marinated to make it soft), shrimp is much simpler. Once I had all the ingredients ready, I felt much more confident in the kitchen.

The first thing I did was clean the shrimp thoroughly. I know some people use the head and tail to make things like shrimp oil or broth, but I decided to throw those parts away. I’m just not a fan of them, to be honest. Maybe that’s a bit wasteful, but it’s just my preference. Once everything was clean and prepped, I got started on the main dish: spicy shrimp, or in Indonesian, "udang balado."

The recipe I used wasn’t something I came up with myself, I found it online, so if you want to try it, I recommend searching for a good version on the internet too. I did add my own little twist, though. I used more tomatoes and leek than the recipe called for because I love the flavor. A kind lady at the market suggested adding potatoes to the dish, but I skipped that part. Even without potatoes, the dish turned out really delicious, and spicy, just the way I like it!

If you're a fan of fried rice, here’s a tip I learned from a cooking video: don’t throw away the shrimp heads and tails. You can deep-fry them, grind them up, and use the result to make shrimp oil. That oil adds an amazing flavor to fried rice! I didn’t do that this time, but I might give it a try in the future. It’s a great way to use every part of the shrimp and add something special to your cooking.

Cooking shrimp for the first time felt like a small but proud achievement. I was honestly a little nervous at first, but once I got started, I had so much fun. And now I feel more confident to explore other seafood dishes. Maybe next time I’ll try squid, who knows? Cooking doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to be enjoyed. And it’s even better when you share the experience with others.

So, that’s my perspective. Have you ever cooked shrimp before? Or do you have a favorite seafood recipe? I’d love to hear your story too!

Warm regards :b