Shrimp Revisted

One Helluva Shrimp Boil

Loyal followers of this Blog will realize that this is a repost, of sorts.  We did a huge shrimp boil yesterday and a lot of the people that were there wanted the recipe for this or that. I order to keep things short and to increase Blog traffic, I promised I would write about it today.  Then I drank just a little too much and realized this morning that I had to write under duress of feeling a little "Thick" but had to write nonetheless.  Well, I saw this post I had done about shrimp and thought "Wow, I can just get away with adding one or two recipes and I'm off the hook!"  Not so much.  Turns out, only one of the recipes below was on the table yesterday, so I'm back to on the hook to write.  As promised, my recipes from yesterday will be below but I thought I would repost this and add a few pictures from yesterday as well.  Don't forget to read below for some new closing comments as well.

Oh, and with what I'm adding today, this is less of a Blog Post and more of a novel.  Get a cup of coffee or a cocktail and kick back.  This is a long one.

From the TV show "Night Court"
Bull:  What's an Oxymoron?
Judge Harry:  It's two words that contradict each other in a description.  Like "Jumbo Shrimp".

Hell Yeah......Shrimp!  Why am I so excited about writing about shrimp?  Simple, shrimp is best enjoyed with booze.  Beer, Mohito's, Wine....there just isn't anything like shrimp and booze.  However, before the booze, lets cook some shrimp.

A Message about Shrimp

Look, I realize times are tight.  I'm just a broke Saw Salesman that cooks and blends spices on the side, so I know how tight times are.  But when it comes to the things you eat, sometimes its worth a few extra dollars to make sure you get quality.  That is why I ask, implore, and down-right beg you to buy American, Wild Caught Seafood.  If you want to get specific, I prefer the shrimp from the Gulf Coast, but as long you're buying from American, Wild Caught Suppliers, you can rarely go wrong.  If you doubt me, and some do, please look closely to the labels and/or placards of what you buy.  Most States have laws (and I think the Fed does as well) that insist on country of origin and the possibility of sulfides or whether it was farm raised and once you realize what people in other Countries feed and use to preserve their shrimp for travel, you're a lot better off buying something that ate naturally and only went a few miles to get to your table.

One way or another, buying American, Wild Caught, and Sustainable seafood might be a little more expensive but the end result is employed Americans, higher quality product, and a finished dish that cannot be beat.

On to the Food!

Shrimp are one of those foods that you kind of take for granted.  We enjoy it, we look for the shrimp cocktail on the menu and at parties, but rarely do we seek out to make it grand.  One of the things I've learned about NOLA and the Gulf Coast is that shrimp can be an ingredient that acts almost like a seasoning or it can be up front, in your face, and the star attraction.  What I would like to feature would be a little of both.

Grilled Shrimp and Andouille Sausage
Shrimp and Mirlinton (Cheyote Squash)
BBQ Shrimp (Gina's Recipe)
BBQ Shrimp (Another Recipe)
Fried Shrimp
Roumalade Sauce

Grilled shrimp and Andouille Sausage

This is one of the easiest recipes I've ever done.  Simplicity is it's key, the short ingredient list makes it a breeze, and the smokey sausage and shrimp flavors come together to make a smash of an appetizer or a meal, if you put enough of them together.

24 Large Shrimp, cleaned
12 medallions Andouille Sausage cut 3/8" thick
1/2-3/4 cup Apple Jelly
1 tbsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
8 bamboo skewers soaked in cold water (to prevent scorching)
Salt and Cracked pepper to taste

Brown sausage until done in a touch a vegetable oil.  Assemble 6 shrimp and 3 sausage medallions on skewers so that the shrimp rings the sausage (shrimp, sausage, shrimp, and repeat).  Salt and pepper the skewers and set aside.  In a microwave safe bowl, heat the apple jelly and hot sauce until liquefied and stir in just a pinch of cracked black pepper.

Baste both sides of the skewers and place on a raging hot grill.  At this point you can use as much of the apple jelly baste as you like...and I like alot...with alot of hot sauce.  Grill until the shrimp is done AND DON'T OVER COOK IT!!!!  Over cooked shrimp has the texture and personality of a pink pencil eraser.  When the shrimp turns white on both sides, count to ten, and it's done.

I really haven't been in the mood to recommend wines or cocktails lately but I surely am now.  This works really well with a quality Pinot Grigio or similar dry white.

Shrimp and Mirlinton (Melonton to the Locals)

This one is even easier and is the recipe where the shrimp is a player but not really up front.  Gina and I started dating in 2005 and I ended up going to NOLA with her for Christmas.  I have to mention that it was 5 months after Katrina and it was one of the worst things I've ever seen...until I met the people.  We went to her sister-in-laws house for the family bash and her mother had made this her contribution to the pot luck table.  I looked at it, asked what it was and Gina said, very casually "Shrimp and Mirlinton" and walked away.  I took just a spoonful and sat down.  I worked my way around the plate and got around to it eventually.  One bite and I ran back to get as much as I could without looking like a damn fool.

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
3 Mirlintons (Cheyote Squash)
1 small can plain artichoke hearts, medium chopped
1 old, dried out baguette crumbed in the food processor
1 egg
1 cup rich seafood stock
1 cup rich rich chicken stock
1/2 cup grated Parmesan plus 2 tbsp to top
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
3-4 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by peeling, pitting, and cutting the mirlintons into 1/2" cubes. Parboil until just barely fork tender as they will finish cooking in the oven.  Blanche the shrimp for about 30 seconds in boiling water and place in a large mixing bowl with the artichokes, mirlintons, and all dry ingredients then blend well with the egg.  Add all of the seafood stock and use the remaining chicken stock to bring to a wet stuffing consistency.  Sprinkle a little parm on the top and drizzle the olive on top of that.  Bake at 375 for about an hour or until the tops browns and the dish is firm.

I realize the mirlinton is a new ingredient for alot of you and it was to me as well.  Its looks like a pear, has a pit like a mango, and the bottom looks like a Plumbers Crack.  When parboiled, it taste like a cross between squash and melon with a slightly sweet taste.  If you like, adding a pinch of sugar to the recipe brings out the mirlinton flavor just a bit more.  Pick a red or white wine for this just so long as it is lighter in flavor.

BBQ Shrimp (Gina's Recipe)

The funny thing about BBQ Shrimp is that it really isn't BBQ and it seems that the only similarity to BBQ is that everyone has their own version of it and everyone is right.  There are cream based varieties, BBQ based varieties, but what seems to come closest to a traditional NOLA BBQ shrimp comes from the influx of certain ingredients around the turn of the 20th Century.  Germans were brewing, Italians were importing and pressing olives...there were a ton of cultural influences that came together to create a simple, fast, and incredible meal.  Please note that some of the quantities are approximate.  It is very much a dish where you decide how much of this you want and how much of that you need.

Preheat oven to 375F
2 pounds large, head on shrimp. rinsed
1 stick Organic Butter
1 bottle amber to dark beer (a Bock, IPA, or Porter work really well)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce (more or less depending on taste)
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
8 cloves garlic finely diced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt an Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
1 crusty Baguette for sopping
1-2 cases Beer
Friends

This could not be any easier.  arrange the shrimp in a 13" X 9" casserole dish.  place remaining ingredients in a 2 quart sauce pan and slowly bring to a simmer to let flavors combine.  Let the sauce cool for a bit so that it doesn't immediately cook the shrimp, pour over the shrimp, and place in the oven.  Cook in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, tossing shrimp occasionally.  The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the shrimp but, as mentioned before, do not over cook them.

At this point, peel and eat until you can't walk.  It's important to not be able to walk away from the table as there will be extra shrimp and they will need to be eaten.  This is why Friends are in the ingredients list.  If you like, you can dip the fat out of the shrimp heads with your little finger or keep them to boil stock from later.  What I like to do when I can is boil the heads and bodies for stock and freeze it for later.

A Note About Shrimp and Alcohol

Shrimp are one of those amazing foods that has the ability to pick up flavors that are cooked with them as well as being able to maintain their own flavor.  Many shrimp recipes will have you prepare a saute, sauce, whatever and then toss the shrimp to cook as a final step.  It's truly rare to find a recipe that requires marinating the shrimp first because they are just so good at picking up flavor.  This makes sauces or saute's with butter, wine, beer, garlic, etc. great for shrimp.

Shrimp are also one of those things that takes just a few minutes to prepare, it's hardly ever complicated, and lends itself to helping the host of any dinner or party partake of the same cocktails that everyone else is.  By the time dinner is done, there is no reason why you can't have a phenomenal meal and be in the same "Mood" as you guests.  In short, Shrimp is great party food for the guests as well as the host.

BBQ Shrimp (Another Recipe)

This is a cream based recipe that is a tad more complicated but is still relatively easy in its construction but it pays off for being seriously rich, flavorful, and an absolute knock out.  However, as explained before, it's still not BBQ.

3-4 pounds Gulf Shrimp, peeled but leave the tail on, save peels and heads
1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning (any good store brand will do)
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 small Shallot, finely chopped
2 tbsp Butter
1/4 cup Dry White Wine
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 cups Water
2 slices Lemon, peel on and seeded
2 cups Heavy Cream
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss shrimp in Cajun seasoning and set aside.  In a large skillet, saute garlic and shallots in butter until edges just start to turn brown and remove from pan (to be added back in later) Add wine, Worcestershire sauce, water, lemon, and shrimp peels and heads and simmer over high heat for about 20 minutes to make a stock.  Strain and reduce over high heat until the stock is very thick, like a syrup.  Add garlic and shallots back, add heavy cream and bring to a simmer.  Toss shrimp in sauce and cook just until shrimp are done.  Serve with baguette or another good crusty bread.

Fried Shrimp

Not being one to deep fry a lot of stuff, I had the worst time trying to get this right.  I tried flour and corn meal of varying ratios, different types of flour, beating my head against the wall (which I was sure would help), and everything I could think of to get that New Orleans deep fried texture before I discovered the mystical powers of Corn Starch.  I guess I could have read a bit about it but, ya know.  Turns out that corn starch does the same as flour in that it draws some moisture from the breading process as well as from whatever you're cooking but corn starch doesn't turn to stone when it deep fries, leaving a lighter, crispier breading.  I also fry chicken with this recipe and it's freakin' fantastic.

5 lbs Gulf Shrimp
2 cups Whole Milk
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup Corn Starch
4 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
2 tbsp Granulated Garlic
1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper

Heat oil to 325 degrees.  Butterfly and de-vein shrimp and place in milk to soak.  Blend all dry ingredients in a one gallon zip top bag and blend well.  Add as much shrimp as your fryer can handle to the bag, shake to coat, and let sit for 1-2 minutes.  Add shrimp to hot oil and cook until golden brown.

It's not horribly complicated to deep fry.  The main point was to include the corn starch that was the game changer in the texture department.

Roumalade Sauce

This was the recipe from the boil that everyone really wanted and, of course, it comes with a story.  Every time we go to The French Quarter, I usaully turn into a pain in hte ass because I have to go to Pierre Maspero's because they have decent food...and a Roumalade Sauce that I would kill for.  That, and it is the building where Andrew Jackson met with Pierre Maspero to discuss the defense of New Orleans during The War of 1812.  However, no that I have come up with this recipe, I don't really need ot go back because this one is just a tad better.  To me at least.

Also, it should be noted that there are as many recipes for Roumalade as there are for BBQ Shrimp.  Everyone has their own version.

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 cup chopped Yellow Onion
4 Green Onions, chopped
1/4 cup Parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Horseradish Sauce (Horseradish Mayo)
2 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp Kethcup
3 tbsp Dijon Mustard
3 tbsp Yellow Mustard
1 tsp fresh cracked Black Pepper
1 tsp Generic Hot Sauce
Pinch of Sea Salt

Add everything to a food processor and blend until well combined with a semi-fine texture.  One thing that I noticed was that the ingredients you use may be more or less powerful than others so you may need to adjust quantities of mustard, ketchup, horseradish sauce, or all of the above.  The flavors should all combine and there shouldn't be one that overwhelms another.

Also, it should be noted that there are as many recipes for Roumalade as there are for BBQ Shrimp.

Well, that's another promise kept.  Ladies, I do hope you enjoyed yesterdays offering as much as I enjoyed cooking until my feet ached...and I always do.  I promised the recipes would be up and they are, in spite of the fact that I did way more damage to myself after I got home.  Sometimes, just every so often, I understand that a cocktail on Sunday is the one remedy that is going to help me feel better and, although I'm not really in that bad of shape, I think a short trip to the fridge is in order.  A cold one and some left over shrimp sound like just the ticket.

Party Well, Eat Better
Rob