Steamed MD crab style.
But yes, they are often overcooked and split open.
Also, big shrimp = overrated. The smaller the better. Same with lobster, etc. (Not crabs - they have ZERO nasty spongy meat.) Bigger = older = tougher. Spongy enough already! Yuck.
Well since we are talking crab, got a couple dozen softs frying up .
And some fresh oysters right from Yorktown..mmmm
Shrimp of different sizes are different species, not old or younger. Tougher is usually overcooked and spongy is usually a shrimp that died before being processed. Shrimp are best cooked live.
Shrimp that come from a grocery store are frozen, usually farmed from China or another Asian country. They contain all manner of food dyes, antibodies, assorted chemicals. Asian shrimp processors cut as many corners as possible to maximize their profits, not your eating experience.
Defrosted shrimp in grocery stores that have liquid are far along in the decomposition process to be avoided, as any seafood that smells “the fishy odor” - an indication of decomposition.
Its where the shrimp come form, how they were kept onboard the catcher boat, how they were processed at the buyer, how long they where in cold storage that determines the eating experience.
Personally fpor the best eating shrimp, I’d order online from a shrimper in Alaska - as they have very high quality seafood standards : their quality is their business. As for Gulf shrimp - I was never impressed with their seafood handling, but that was 20 years ago and may have changed.