Shrimp

……Way, way more than anyone really needs to know about shrimp  

I’ve never actually done the numbers, but I believe I sell more shrimp at dinner than everything else on the menu combined and that’s fine with me for a whole bunch of reasons.  It’s expensive, it’s really easy and quick to cook, almost everyone likes shrimp, and most importantly it’s almost impossible to screw up.  Shrimp are great in cocktails, appetizers, sandwiches, salads, bisques, chowders, soups and a ton of entrees – sautéed, grilled, bbq’d, boiled – either peeled or in the shell -  baked, stuffed, battered, breaded, grilled, on a spit,  hell, I bet I could come up with some shrimp desserts.  For most folks, however, shrimp is a dish they save for restaurants.  There seems to be some aura or mystique about shrimps that keeps people from cooking them at home.  Do not fear, I’m gonna give you some bullet-proof recipes for some real gourmet dishes that you can cook up quicker than you can scramble a couple of eggs.   Here’s how I make a dozen or so different shrimp dishes,

Cooking up a bunch of shrimp

But first you gotta buy the shrimp.   I’ve been on the west coast of Mexico for so long that I only know about Mexican shrimp.  I’m not familiar with the shrimp out of the gulf coast of the U.S. and my experience with Asian and Arabian shrimp – years ago – was not good.  I didn’t like them at all.  I look for firm, shiny, light gray shrimp.  If their starting to show a pink or orange color around the edges I skip them.  Likewise I won’t use shrimp that have any odor at all – the slightest hint of an ammonia odor is a big NO-NO.  I’m partial to shrimp that run 26-30 to the pound.  Shrimp are sold by the number, and as I said, I use a 26-30 and have always thought of it as a large-medium but lately my customers are telling me they are ‘jumbos’.  I can only assume that means restaurants in the USA have started calling ‘medium’ shrimp ‘JUMBO’ so they can raise the price.  Anyway smaller shrimp don’t taste as good, are a pain in the butt to peel and clean and larger shrimp are trickier to cook.  Get yourself some nice shrimp – about a half pound per person is a good amount.  Peel, clean and butterfly them.  You can leave the tail on or remove it.  I leave them on for most sautéed shrimp dishes, both for esthetic reasons and because a little tail now and then is good for the soul.  If you’ve not cleaned and butterflied shrimp before here’s how you do it.  After you’ve removed the shell cut the shrimp down the back from the fat end down to the tail or to where the tail used to be.  DO NOT cut all the way through – just most of the way. Then remove (under running water or in a bowl of water) any vein or dirt you may find then open the shrimp like the pages of a book or the wings
of a butterfly.

Shrimp Scampi

Once again I checked the internet before proceeding and found – once again – the celebrity morons are busy complicating our live.  I found recipes for this simple traditional dish calling for shallots, fresh basil, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh oregano, steak sauce, flour, vinegar, cheese, sherry, egg yolks, peas and even something called pepper sauce whatever the heck that is.  What nonsense!! No wonder folks leave the shrimp to restaurants.  You can de-mystify ‘scampi’ by calling it ‘shrimp with garlic and lemon’ because that’s all it is and if you don’t overcook the shrimp no one on earth can make it better than you can – and that includes Emeril and the rest of that band of loons.

For many years I took it as gospel that you never let the garlic brown or burn.  That’s what all the famous chef’s and books said and I bought into it.  Then I traveled all over Mexico  where the most popular shrimp and fish dishes are ‘mojo de ajo’ (garlic style) and I loved it – even though the garlic was always cooked at least to a golden brown.  So if you want to brown the garlic – tell everyone I said it was okay.  Here’s what you’ll need


Parts list

Shrimp……………………………peeled, deveined and butterflied – a half pound per person

Chopped garlic………………….a whole bunch

Fresh lemon or lime juice……..I don’t know how juicy your lemons are but this dish should be pretty lemony

Finely chopped parsley……….it’s mostly just for looks so however much to want use will be fine

Finely chopped green onions or scallions…about the same amount as the parsley

Butter

Cooking oil…………………….....this is one of the few times I’ll suggest a good olive oil

Cooking it up

You have to remember that just about the only way to screw shrimp up is by overcooking it.  As soon as the shrimp has turned from a translucent gray to an opaque white it is DONE – turn it off and plate it up.  Even if you do overcook it a little almost no one will notice because most restaurants overcook the shrimp and people think shrimp is supposed to be a little chewy.

In a frying pan or skillet of your choice – heat a generous amount of butter with a little oil  to keep the butter from burning.  Get the butter good and hot but not quite burning and toss in the shrimp, give it a quick stir and toss in the garlic – keep stirring until the shrimp is all white, turn off the heat and add the lemon/lime juice(about a third of the butter sauce should be the juice) give it a stir and when you’re ready to put it on a plate toss in the parsley and green onions and give it a final stir.  Bingo! You’ve just made some great ‘scampi’ style shrimp.  If you’ve browned or even burned the garlic you have made some great  ‘Camarones Mojo de Ajo’ (Mexican  Style Garlic Shrimp)  If it’s too lemony you’ve made some great ‘Lemon Garlic Shrimp’  Like I said ‘it’s almost impossible to screw up shrimp!!  

Here’s a bunch more shrimp dishes that you cook exactly the same way. 

Shrimp ala Mexicana…….cook the shrimp the same way—when it’s done turn it off and add a couple three tablespoons of Salsa Mexican (also called Pico de Gallo or Salsa Fresca) give it a couple of stirs and serve it garnished  with lemon/lime wedges and a sprig of cilantro.  The salsa recipe can be found on my web site   www.felixcabosanlucas.com
                                                                
Shrimp Veracruzana ……Exactly like above with VeraCruzana salsa (also on the web site instead of Salsa Mexicana

Lemon-Cilantro Shrimp…. Just like the Scampi only use a whole bunch of chopped cilantro instead of the parsley and green onion.

Shrimp with a White Wine Butter Sauce…Exactly like the Scampi but use white wine instead of lemon juice- maybe a little less garlic and remove the shrimp before you add the wine then bring the wine to boil for a minute or so then pour it over the shrimp.

Coconut – Mango Shrimp……same deal only less garlic and instead of lemon juice add a few table-spoons of Mango Salsa (also on the web site) and a good healthy pinch of grated coconut.  I would skip the parsley on this one but the green onion is okay.

Shrimp Verde (shrimp in green salsa)……same deal and the salsa is on the web site.

Okay, go cook some shrimp and let me know how it turns out.  If you have any questions, comments or suggestions or need additional shrimp recipes you know where to send them.

Spencer