OOPS –Really, Really Good Royal Red Shrimp

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

LET US REMEMBER WHAT TOMORROW IS ALL ABOUT

Since I’ve posted about this meal before, I wouldn’t do it again if it wasn’t for the oops.  We have friends who live in Pensacola, FL where Joe Patti’s Seafood is located with access to reasonably priced Royal Red Shrimp – a favorite of ours.  When we were discussing with the friends what I wanted we talked about shell-on or cleaned and I knew I wanted shell on but I apparently said head on - what goes thru my brain doesn't always come out my mouth.  As a result, my 16 lbs. will only yield about half that in tails.  So, what do you do when you get lemons, you make lemonade or in this case shrimp stock.

This is some of what I began with.

and my process was:

Step 1 – Cut the tail from the body and add the bodies to a stock pot.

Step 2 – Remove just the shells and add them to the pot.

Step 3 – Remove the shrimp digestive tract – didn’t want it in my stock.  Royal Reds have a very thick shell so they get considerably smaller after peeling.

Step 4 – Add water to the stock pot and simmer for an hour.

Step 5 – Strain the stock then double the water (after tasting), bag, and freeze.

To eat the shrimp, heat a pan to close the pores (if stainless steel) to make it non-stick, add a stick of salted butter, and let it brown. 

Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes on each side.

Plate and distribute the butter among the dishes.  Serve with a thick slice of Bev’s homemade bread – or your favorite.

Eat the shrimp and mop up the butter sauce with the bread.

The Verdict:

We all thought this dish was roll your eyes back in your head, OMG delicious and we decided this might be the only way we should ever cook the Royal Reds.  They taste like a cross between lobster and shrimp and I need to try this with regular shrimp for comparison.  Amazingly, the five shrimp and the slice of bread filled us up.  We talked about you often during the meal, David.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

6/21/23 meal dates