Grey shrimps are fished on the beaches of the Opal Coast, along the northern Atlantic coast of France.
They are fished as the tide goes out with a special net called “haveneau”.
When we buy these beautiful blue-grey crustaceans at the open market they are still jumping lively in their baskets.
But once cooked, their color changes dramatically to an often vibrant pinkish-orange color.
Here’s why…
‘The outer shell is made of a protein, crustacynin (like all the other crustaceans), which holds in a tight embrace the underlying pigment called astaxanthin.
Because these proteins are not heat stable, they unravel in boiling water. Releasing and voila! allowing the astaxianthin’s true red color shine through.