Put the kettle on and place the dried shrimp in a bowl.
Pour very hot water over the dried shrimp to completely submerge them. Cover, and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Chopping/Flossing
Follow the instructions as in your recipe, but a general guide is:If using as part of a spice paste, just drain the soaked shrimp (no need to rinse) and add to the chopper or mortar and chop or pound away to get your paste.
Some recipes call for the shrimp to be pounded to a coarse state. You can do this with a pestle and mortar, or use a chopper, like I prefer.
If you want to use the dried shrimp as a garnish or topping, place them in a chopper and pulse until they are shredded and resemble floss.