Appears in Cook's Illustrated November/December 2020, America's Test Kitchen TV
Shrimp cook so quickly that it's difficult to brown them before they become dry and rubbery. That's why we start them in a cold skillet and sprinkle them with sugar.
Shrimp are so small that it's hard to brown them before they overcook. We started by briefly salting them so that they retained moisture even as they were seared over high heat. Sprinkling sugar on the shrimp (patted dry after salting) and ...