Thursday, Jul. 02, 2009

Shrimp, shrimp and more shrimp!

You just can’t get enough? Try these recipes from local chefs

Shrimp Scampi - Divine Prime

•  Shrimp, shrimp and more shrimp
  

Voted most popular shellfish from coast to coast, shrimp have survived 300 years of harvesting in the United States. And that’s no small matter: that translates into more than 650 million pounds a year along our coastal waters, plus 200 million pounds of imported shrimp, caught for our dining pleasure.

Our pleasure is especially gratified on our plates in Myrtle Beach, where it’s as easy to order a fresh shrimp entree, basket or appetizer, as it is to spot a bikini on the beach. The sweet, pink meat of shrimp is embedded into our culture of coastal cuisine – from coconut shrimp, fried shrimp and barbecued shrimp to shrimp and grits and shrimp scampi.

Nutritious (low in calories and fat, high in protein and calcium) and versatile, shrimp can be boiled (in broth or beer), steamed, grilled, sautéed, baked or deep-fried, served hot or cold in a shrimp cocktail goblet or a sushi hand roll, and finished with a creative coating, breading or sauce.

Several local restaurants have shared with us their signature shrimp recipes that represent the shellfish’s ocean of possibilities so home chefs can recreate them in their own big way. Enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi
Divine Prime

Ingredients:
(Serves 4 as appetizer or 2 as entree, over pasta)
12 large (U-12) wild American shrimp, peeled
and deveined
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon finely sliced chives
1 lemon cut in half and seeds removed
2 portions cooked pasta, if desired

Preparation:
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and sauté shrimp on one side for 1-2 minutes, then turn and sauté for another minute. Add garlic and briefly sauté. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add chives and juice from lemon. Add remaining butter and swirl to incorporate. Taste sauce, adjust seasoning, and serve immediately. If serving as an entree, ladle shrimp and sauce over pasta.

Shrimp and Grits
SeaBlue Restaurant

Ingredients: (Entree, serves 1)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
5 large local shrimp
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons diced Roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked stone ground grits
Shaved Parmesan, to taste

Preparation:
In a medium sauté pan, bring 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium-high heat. Add shrimp, garlic and shallot. Sauté until garlic starts to turn color. Add white wine and tomato; reduce by half. Remove from heat; add butter, parsley, salt and pepper. Arrange over prepared grits and garnish with shaved Parmesan.

Coco Shrimp
Indo Thai Sushi & Hibachi

Ingredients: (Appetizer, serves 1)
For the Coco Sauce:
3 pieces pickled garlic
6 tablespoons ground red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces freshly ground ginger root
3 cloves fresh garlic
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon chicken broth powder
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
3 tablespoons crushed pineapple

For the Coco Shrimp Batter:
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons coconut milk
Salt and pepper, to taste

5 jumbo shrimp
Oil for pan-frying

Preparation:
For the sauce, combine all ingredients and simmer on stovetop until thickened. As the sauce cooks, combine all batter ingredients; mix until smooth. Dip shrimp in batter, then pan-fry in a small amount of oil until golden brown. Arrange shrimp on a plate, drizzle with sauce and enjoy.

Shrimp Cocktail with Roasted Beet Cocktail Sauce
LeGrand’s Prime Alaskan Seafood & Steaks

Ingredients: (Appetizer, serves 2)
1/2 12-ounce bottle ketchup
1 beet, roasted and pureed
1/4 cup grated horseradish
3 lemons, juiced and divided
1 splash Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 bunch Italian flat parsley
2 cups Old Bay Seasoning
8 cups water
10 jumbo shrimp

Preparation:
Blend ketchup, beet puree, horseradish, juice from 2 lemons, Tabasco, salt and pepper in bowl. Place in covered container in refrigerator. Place remaining lemon juice in large saucepot with peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley, Old Bay and water. Bring to boil and place shrimp in pot. Cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove shrimp and place in ice water bath to cool. Assemble shrimp and cocktail sauce on plate and enjoy.

Chipotle Barbecue Sauce for Chipotle Prawns
City Bar

Ingredients: (Sauce)
6 ounces chipotle peppers, pureed
4 ounces red wine vinegar
4 ounces Dijon mustard
2 ounces molasses
2 ounces brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon coriander, ground
1 tablespoon ginger, ground
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
2 ounces soy sauce
2 ounces catsup
2 ounces Dr. Pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in saucepan and simmer until all flavors marry and sauce coats back of spoon. Taste and season to your liking; add more sugar for sweeter flavor, more peppers for more of a kick, or more mustard for a tangier flavor.

Crunch Roll
Divine Fish House

Ingredients: (Appetizer, makes 2 rolls)
1 bamboo sushi mat wrapped with plastic
2 sheets nori (Japanese seaweed for rolling sushi)
Prepared sushi rice
4 each (total of 8) tempura shrimp cooked just prior to
assembling roll
2 ounces spicy tuna mixed together just before assembly
1/4 ripe avocado, sliced into 4 equal lengths
1 ounce cream cheese cut into four 4”x 1/2” pieces
1/8 cucumber cut into long strips
4 asparagus spears blanched, peeled and chilled
Japanese rice seasoning (found in Asian markets)
Reserved spicy mayonnaise from spicy tuna recipe
1/2 ounce teriyaki glaze
2 tablespoons tempura flakes

Preparation:
Place the bamboo mat on a clean surface and top with a sheet of nori, rough side up. Top the nori with rice to cover 1/8” to 1/4” thick and work the rice across the entire sheet. Turn the sheet over and place front to rear all of the ingredients except the rice seasonings, spicy mayonnaise, teriyaki glaze and tempura flakes. Carefully fold the rice-covered nori over the fillings and using the mat, tuck the fillings inside while rolling the front of the mat toward the back to make a roll. Gently squeeze the roll inside of the mat to ensure the fillings are tightly fitted. Slice the roll and place artfully over the sauces and sprinkle with rice seasonings and tempura flakes.