Siegel - The totally shrimp cookbook

Copyright 1997 by Helene Siegel.
Illustrations copyright 1997 by Carolyn Vibbert.
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Celestial Arts and the Celestial Arts colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Siegel, Helene.
The Totally Shrimp Cookbook / by Helene Sigel.
p. cm.

1. Cookery (Shrimp) 1. Title.
TX754.S58S54 1997
641.695dc21 96-45672

ISBN-13:978-0-89087-823-1
eBook ISBN: 978-0-8041-5310-2

The Totally Shrimp Cookbook is produced by becker&mayer!, Ltd
Interior illustrations: Carolyn Vibbert

v3.1

Other cookbooks in this series:
The Totally Crab Cookbook
The Totally Lobster Cookbook
The Totally Salmon Cookbook

T O SEAFOOD LOVERS EVERYWHERE

S hrimp are as sweet and innocent as their name would suggest. And as easy as anything to cook.

They are always available at the supermarket, where quality and price are fairly consistent. Shrimp are easy to peel, quick to cook, low in fat with a good dose of protein, and they turn a lovely pink color when done.

Add to these the facts that they taste wonderful either hot or cold, and combine well with fiery flavors from the Far East, Louisiana, and Mexico; salty flavors from Japan and China; sweet fruits, coconut, and barbecue of the Caribbean; garlic and pasta from Italy; or just plain butter from France; and you realize that shrimp are an extraordinary gift from the sea. We Americans were exercising extreme good taste and pure logic when we made shrimp the most popular seafood in our country.

In return, this simple crustacean doesnt ask for much. All it wants is to be eaten while still fresh, cooked briefly, and shared with an appreciative audience. Here then are some recipes to get the good times rolling.

And remember, though shrimp are the cocktail food par excellence, everybody deserves an occasional weeknight shrimp dinner at homefor the pure pleasure of it.

Here is divine finger food for the hopelessly hedonistic: one perfect, plump shrimp wrapped up in succulent bacon.

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

pound sliced bacon, slices halved

honey mustard for dipping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wrap a half bacon slice around each shrimp in a spiral to enclose. Pierce with a toothpick to hold. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until bacon is done. Drain on paper towels and serve, hot or room temperature, with honey mustard for dipping.

M AKES ABOUT 24 PIECES

Paprika, the ground spice from dried red pepper pods, shares a special affinity with sweet shrimp. Serving the shrimp in the shell adds a bit of crunch to this simple, elegant dish.

pound large shrimp, in the shell

salt, freshly ground pepper, and paprika

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons cognac or brandy

1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed

lemon juice for sprinkling

Pat the shrimp dry and spread on a large sheet of waxed paper or a towel. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and paprika. Gather up the paper and shake the shrimp to coat evenly.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When nearly brown, add the shrimp. Cook, shaking the pan frequently, until shrimp are evenly pink and curled, about 2 minutes. Add the cognac and remove from heat.

Arrange the watercress on 4 serving plates. Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Top each with shrimp in the shell.

S ERVES 4

How to Prepare Shrimp

Shrimp are the easiest shellfish for the cook to handle. To peel, simply remove the shells with your fingertips. The shells are about the thickness of cellophane and grow in segments. Leave the last segment on, along with the tail, for recipes specifying tail on. Then rinse with cold water and refrigerate. Save peeled shells in zipper-lock bags in the freezer for making shrimp stock (see ) or enriching other stocks and soups. Shrimp shells are entirely ediblea chef I know considers them an excellent source of calciumand they add an element of crunch, not to mention fiber, to the diet.

This marriage of two summertime favoritesgazpacho and shrimp cocktailis a sure winner for hot-weather dinner parties. Double or triple the recipe for buffets.

1 small tomato, seeded and diced

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

cup diced red onion

cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cups tomato juice

cup red wine vinegar

juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon sugar

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

4 dashes Tabasco sauce

salt and freshly ground pepper

pound cooked, peeled medium shrimp

In a large bowl, combine tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onion, and cilantro.

In another bowl, whisk together tomato juice, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the chopped vegetables. Cut the shrimp into large chunks. Add to the vegetable mixture and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours. Serve cold with tortilla chips.

S ERVES 4

The big fish eat the little ones, the little ones eat the shrimp, and the shrimp are forced to eat mud.

Chinese proverb

In these minimal wontons, a single shrimp is wrapped and then fried. Very easy for holding in one hand while balancing a cold cocktail in the other.

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

salt and freshly ground pepper

36 wonton wrappers

cup fresh cilantro leaves

peanut oil for frying

assorted mustards, spicy cocktail sauce, or soy sauce for dipping

Pat the shrimp dry, and season all over with salt and pepper.

Place a wonton wrapper on the counter and place a cilantro leaf in the center. Top with a shrimp and another leaf. Moisten two adjoining edges of wrapper with a finger dipped in cold water. Fold over the dry edges to form a triangle and press to seal. Then moisten the triangles tip with water, fold over, and press to form a crescent. Set aside. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.

Bring about 3 cups of oil to deep-fry temperature in a fryer or deep pot. Test oil by dropping in a strip of wonton skin. If it immediately bubbles to the surface, the oil is ready. Fry, a handful at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes total. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with dipping sauces.