Crustacean Nation - Recap

Alton, clad in foul weather fishing gear, stands on a dock near the shrimp boat Nautilus. He remembers his first cocktail – in the middle of the Mohave Desert, on a dining car bound from Los Angeles to Kansas City. He told his mother he had to have one. It was cold, clean and crisp, with horseradish but unmistakably of the sea. It was intoxication by crustacean. Now the shrimp cocktail is the fare of cut rate motel buffets and low class cafeterias. Alton means to change that. With a little work, he’ll reinvent it as… Good Eats.

Alton’s first goes aboard the Nautilus where (while “helping” run the boat) he shares a few facts about the shrimp harvest. Nautilus plies the Gulf of Mexico; boats there bring in 200 million pounds of shrimp every year – about 25% of the American appetite for 850 million pounds of the crustaceans. The rest come from Mexico, Ecuador, and even as far away as Thailand. A shrimp boat stays out till its hold is full – properly headed, cleaned, and packed in ice, shrimp will last two weeks.

Alton’s boat returns with brown shrimp from Texas and pink shrimp from the Florida coast. The flesh is the same; the difference is the color of the shell. Flavor differences owe more to variations in diet. At the dock, the shrimp are pulled from the hold by a vacuum device – once they hit air and light the flavor clock starts ticking. That’s why most shrimp are frozen right off the boat (or farm).

Shrimp are sized and sorted by weight, and they should be sold that way, too. The weight count system describes the size in tails per pound. Very small shrimp might run 60-70 tails per pound. Larger shrimp come in ranges such as 26-30, 21-25, 16-20, or even U-12. Here, “U” simply means “or less”, so U-12 means 12 or less per pound. No agreements or standards exist for adjectives like jumbo, medium, and colossal – Alton cautions buyers to avoid sellers who use these terms instead of weight counts.

Unless you’re very close the sea, you’re better off with frozen shrimp – usually they’re frozen right at the boat or farm. Alton grabs a block and leaves. En route, he comments that he double dog dares even Julia Child to spot the difference between fresh shrimp and properly thawed frozen shrimp. Fresh shrimp must be approached as one might approach a used car – with skepticism. Just then, Alton drives past a roadside stand where… is that his Cousin Ray? It is! Cousin Ray is selling shrimp by the side of the road!

Alton examines Ray’s stock and finds just about every hazard of fresh shrimp. First, they’re turning pink – a sure sign they’re not cold enough. Some shrimp proteins can begin to cook at room temperature; fresh shrimp MUST be kept iced. Some of Ray’s shrimp display the black spots of melanosis. Avoid shrimp with black spots, they’ve been mishandled badly. Alton speculates that Ray got these at a bait shop; Ray admits it.
Some of Ray’s catch smell like ammonia. Fresh shrimp shouldn’t smell like ammonia, or chlorine, or anything else. When they do, they’re not so fresh.

Continuing, Alton finds rough shells on some of the stock. This suggests they’ve been treated with too much sodium bisulfite. Sodium bisulfite is a harmless food additive when used properly – it prevents melanosis. But some vendors “stretch” their stock by overusing the chemical; the sandpaper finish of the shells gives this away.

Ray has some peeled shrimp, but they’re slimy. That likely means they’ve been double dipped in sodium tri-polyphosphate. Harmless when used properly, STP helps shrimp stay moist. Overuse encourages the flesh to take on too much water, making it slimy and artificially boosting the weight with water.

Alton leaves Ray to label his shrimp “fertilizer.” That’s about all they’re good for now.

Back at the boat Alton addresses preparation. Should the vein be removed? Well, that depends. On smaller shrimp this is usually difficult and unnecessary. In larger animals the vein – actually the animal’s digestive tract – can contribute a gritty texture and is best removed. Alton demonstrates how to properly cut the shrimp with small barber scissors. He cuts all his shrimp (keeping them in water) first and then removes the veins – underwater. The vein tends to stick to everything; removing it underwater prevents this. The veins sink to the bottom and you’re left with shrimp ready to cook.

What should a one ounce shrimp have in common with a fifteen pound turkey? Brine! Alton prepares brine from sugar and kosher salt, running hot water from a coffee maker into it – the water is hot enough to melt everything. A few cups of ice cools it down; Alton wants it cold when he immerses the shrimp. Alton’s making four shrimp cocktails so he needs about 32 shrimp. At the 21-25 size, that’s two pounds (leaving a few for the cook to enjoy!)

While the shrimp brines (it takes 20-25 minutes) Alton prepares his cocktail sauce. He could use bottled sauce or make sauce from scratch (a process that takes hours). He chooses a simpler alternative: blend existing ingredients. Alton selects canned whole tomatoes (diced will also work), chili sauce, and horseradish (NOT horseradish dressing). The tomatoes, drained, go into a food processor. Some chili sauce and a little chopped horseradish go on top, then a little each of kosher salt, sugar, and pepper. Then Alton just blends it until it’s smooth and stashes it in the chill chest until he’s ready to serve.

The shrimp are done brining (Alton doesn’t want them too salty), so he pours off the brine, rinses the shrimp, drains and dries them. If it’s going to be longer than a half hour, the shrimp should go in the refrigerator; they don’t do well at room temperature.

Some folks like to boil shrimp, but Alton believes the dry heat of the broiler is the right choice to bring out the flavors. He starts by preheating the broiler with the pan inside – both broiler and pan must be hot. Using a bowl, he coats the shrimp with a little oil to encourage browning and prevent sticking. Then he tosses the shrimp with some Old Bay seasoning for flavor and color. He spreads them in a single layer and broils them for two minutes. At the end of that time, he flips them as quickly as he can, and slides them back in for another minute. Alton broils his shrimp in the shells; they protect the flesh from burning and contribute flavor. Watch for the tails to brown and the meat to spread where it was cut. These are signs the shrimp are broiling properly.

When the shrimp finish broiling the cooking process must be stopped quickly. Alton uses a bowl, pre-chilled in the freezer, for this. Tossing the shrimp around to eliminate some heat, he slides them in the freezer for five minutes.

Alton finishes with a “Twelve Step Plan” recapping his shrimp techniques: Buy by count-weight; say “no” to pre-cooked shrimp; choose the right size for job. Avoid stinky shrimp; buy them frozen and thaw them yourself. Cook them in the shell; brine them, use hot, dry heat and ice them immediately when they’re done. Deveining is your choice. And… and… Alton can’t come up with any more just now; give him a week and he will. Until then, here’s to Good Eats!

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