Posted on 06/30/2007 8:09:56 AM PDT by yankeedame
Even people that hate fish seem to love "Gulf Shrimp". Here are some great tips on how to buy the best gulf shrimp. Just smell them! They should have little odor, just a hint of the sea, clean, and bright.
Steps:
1. Avoid gulf shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined - most shrimp is frozen and then thawed, and the gulf shrimp is less protected against the freezer without its shell.
2. Look for ***gulf shrimp*** with firm white meat and a full shell.
3. Do not buy gulf shrimp with black spots or rings - except if you're buying black tiger shrimp -as this indicates that the meat is starting to break down.
4. Avoid pink meat.
5. Make sure the shell is not yellow, as this indicates that it was bleached.
6. Avoid gulf shrimp that smells of anything other than salt water.
7. They should not smell like a bait shack. If they smell like ammonia or rotten eggs, it means the gulf shrimp are old.
8. "Gulf Shrimp" should not smell like chlorine, either. Washing shrimp in chlorine to kill bacteria is legal, but not acceptable.
9. Gulf Shrimp should not smell like gasoline. It means the harvesting trawler was leaking fuel into its belly.
10. "Gulf Shrimp" should not appear dusty yellow, especially around its neck. It's an indication of excessive sodium bisulfate, and that means the meat will be rough.
11. Be cautious of labels such as "jumbo," as there aren't any firm guidelines for applying such terms. For each "gulf shrimp" variety, the fishmonger should display the number of gulf shrimp that make up a pound; use this as a guideline instead. Larger shrimp are frequently more expensive, but that doesn't mean they taste better, although they will be easier to prepare, because you will have less of them.
8. Buy enough for 1/4 pound of shelled **Gulf Shrimp** for each person.
Three "shrimp" terms that may confuse you:
GULF SHRIMP : This used to mean any shrimp caught wild off the Texas coast. It was once the sole source for the U.S. market. However, it has morphed into a feel-good moniker for any shrimp from a warm-water locale. Unless you live in Port Isabel, Texas, the label is just for pure marketing purposes.
PRAWN : In most of North America, a prawn means any large shrimp (usually 15 or fewer per pound). However, in Great Britain, a prawn is any medium or large shrimp (35 or fewer per pound). And in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, a prawn is a large freshwater shrimp. In the end, "prawn" is a term bandied about recklessly, according to Weinstein. No recipes in his book call for prawns.
SCAMPI : It is a Venetian word for a small clawed lobster that is so rare now. In Italy, it is now reserved for a close cousin of the original; it now refers to a 9- or 10-inch Norway lobster. In the United States, scampi no longer refers to any particular crustacean at all, but rather to a preparation: baked or broiled in oil or butter with garlic.
Buy North Carolina Shrimp, it’s safer and cheaper.
I also read that the Brits are shipping their prawns to China to be cleaned and packaged. It’s cheaper than processing them in the UK:-(
Well now I must have some.
I will bringbeer. What do you like?
Cigars?
Shrimp wrapped bacon?
- try sprinkling some feta cheese on that and throwing it under the broiler
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