Volume 11, Issue 116 - December 11, 2006

Good Day,

This week we will feature some great shrimp recipes provided by the fine folks at WildAmericanShrimp.com. We recently spent some quality time with them in Chicago at an International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC) Conference. It was great to visit with them again, but it was even better to sample their great shrimp. Shrimp...one of my favorite foods. Let's get started with a little history of the industry!

American Shrimping History:

The seas of the southeastern United States have been rich with shrimp for centuries, but it wasn't until the early 1900s that savvy fishermen and smart technology worked together to gather nature's bounty of domestic shrimp. To preserve those that weren't eaten fresh, enterprising men and women cooked the shrimp in brine and ate the tasty snack like popcorn.

Demand for the succulent, protein-packed seafood increased. By 1912, an already thriving shrimp trade was boosted by hardworking immigrants who moved to the Southeast to launch their own nets. Processing, packaging, distribution and retail businesses sprang up, rapidly expanding the economic base. Boat builders, machinists, net makers and other vital businesses further enlarged the bustling shrimping communities.

Advances in lightweight trawl nets and gasoline-powered boat motors expanded harvesting opportunities and, by the 1920s, southeastern fishermen were using refrigeration and modern transportation to share the bounty with the rest of the nation.

Source: Wild American Shrimp

Wild American Shrimp "The Shrimp You Thought You Were Eating!" The Environment, The Shrimp, Where to Find, Recipes

Grilled Texas Shrimp Salad
Texas

Makes 2 servings (may be doubled)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup corn kernels, roasted, reserve 1/4 cup for garnish
2 tablespoons pepita seeds, toasted, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish
10 (10 to 12) count Texas shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt to taste
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup jicama, julienne
1/2 cup Texas cucumber, julienne
splash dry white wine
1/2 lemon

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:

1 cup cilantro, loosely packed
1/4 cup canola oil
juice of 4 limes

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread corn kernels on a baking sheet and roast for 7 to 10 minutes. Toast the pepita seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Preheat outdoor grill to 350 degrees F. Season shrimp with salt. Using wooden skewers, grill shrimp on both sides for 2 to 4 minutes each side. With a large mixing bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, jicama, cucumber, corn kernels and pepita seeds. For the dressing, place cilantro, canola oil and lime juice in a blender and purée until smooth. Add salt to taste.

To assemble:

Toss four cups salad with 1/2 cup vinaigrette dressing and place on a large dinner plate. Place shrimp on side of salad. Garnish with additional corn kernels, pepita seeds, and cilantro.

Recipe by Chef David Bull - The Driskill Grill, 604 Brazos St., Austin, Texas

Food Arts Magazine

Every issue features exceptional recipes, trends in the industry, restaurant openings and chefs on the move, surveys of new equipment, innovative presentation techniques and much more. Foodservice Professionals, sign up for your Free Copy.

Shrimp Industry Growth:

Through the decades, larger and more powerful vessels were launched, allowing fishermen to venture farther out to sea where the shrimp migrated from their estuary nursery grounds.

By the 1970s, as concern grew over protecting natural resources, commercial shrimpers worked closely with government agencies like the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to design ever-more efficient devices for their trawls that would greatly reduce bycatch such as turtles and finfish.

In the last decade, however, the dumping of imported shrimp has seriously harmed the shrimp communities of the southeast, including: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. The U.S. shrimpers' heroic effort to revive the domestic market included a plan to certify and market Wild American Shrimp and lobby for the meaningful testing of foreign shrimp while countering its unfair trade into the United States.

"Shrimping in the United States has always been more than just a business," says Eddie Gordon, president of the Southern Shrimp Alliance and executive director of Wild American Shrimp, Inc. (WASI), a newly formed business committed to ensuring the viability of America's domestic shrimp industry. "Shrimpers devote their lives to bringing in the catch. It's an art and a science that's passed on from one generation to the next. And now, our tradition, our way of life, is threatened."

Source: Wild American Shrimp

VermontButcherBlock Handmade butcher blocks, professional cutting boards, decorative cheese/sushi boards & wine racks. Personal/Corp. logo laser engraving too! A Culinary Grant Sponsor.

Louisiana Shrimp Sauce Piquant
Louisiana

Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 cup water
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 pounds Wild American shrimp
6 thin slices lemon
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Sauté onions in oil. Add water, garlic and celery. Cook covered until tender. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Add shrimp and lemon. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Sprinkle green onions and parsley on top 3 minutes before serving. Serve over rice.

Source: Wild American Shrimp