Ebi fureeku / shrimp flakes

I much prefer head-on shrimp over headless shrimp for taste and texture. They take a bit more time to devein and whatnot, but then you have shells and heads that make superb stock for any cuisine. They also add a stronger shrimp aroma and flavor when sauteed before the main ingredients. And when you end up having too many shells and heads, you can turn them into shrimp flakes, which are a great substitute for sakura ebi and other dried shrimp in a number of dishes.

<Directions>
1.

Lay shrimp heads, shells, legs and tails in a single layer, and bake at 300 F (150 C) for 30-40 minutes.

If they have not totally dried, keep them in the oven for another 10-20 minutes after turning it off. 

2.

Remove eyes, and grind.

If flakes seem moist or stick to the grinder's blades too much, microwave for 1-2 minutes to further dry them.

Grind to the degree you like, and completely cool.

3.

Keep in an airtight container.

<Notes>

• When made with the heads, shells, legs and tails of unsalted white shrimp as above, the sodium content is approx. 150 mg per tablespoon (6 g). For a quick comparison, one tablespoon (5 g) of sakura ebi contains 240 mg of sodium.
• How to use the flakes? Add to tamagoyaki omelet, iri tamago scrambled eggs, okonomiyaki or chijimi savory pancakes, takoyaki octopus balls, ganmodoki tofu patties, surimi ground fish for satsumaage deep-fried fishcake or fish balls for soups and nabe hot pot, steamed/fried rice dishes, any stir fry and simmered dish; steep and strain to make an instant stock for soups and dressings; mix with salt to make ebi-shio shrimp salt (served with grilled/deep-fried dishes), and on and on and on... . 
• Frozen or thawed head-on shrimp are widely available at Asian grocery stores in the US. Live spot shrimp are available at some grocery stores in late spring to early summer in the Pacific Northwest.

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