An Apology is in Order

Our Sexy Fish last week was Stone Crab Claws. The weather has been so beautiful, Stone Crab Claws have been plentiful and we wanted to showcase our lovely catch. Last week, we had that little cold snap and the crab decided to hide and stay warm. There just weren't any available for us to bring in. This just shows that we get our seafood locally and sometimes our projected Sexy Fish elude us. We sincerely apologize to those of you that came in specifically looking for them, and we didn't have any to offer up to you.

Sexy Fish: Local Shrimp

Our South Carolina shrimp season ends at 7:00 pm January 17th. Right now we have fisherman as far down south as Florida, so it is the time to grab shrimp, bag 'em up and and put them in the freezer. Here in South Carolina we have two important shrimp species, brown shrimp and white shrimp. A third species, the pink shrimp, is relatively scarce. Methods of harvest range from large commercial shrimp trawlers to cast nets and drop nets.

Some long-time residents of the Lowcountry may think that they prefer the flavor of one species over another, but taste tests would probably show that few people can really distinguish one species from another by taste alone. Some experts claim that white shrimp taste better than the other species, but the difference is subtle.

All three of the edible shrimp species look very similar but can be distinguished by careful examination of tail colors and subtle body features. Placed side by side, fresh white shrimp appear lighter in body color than brown or pink shrimps. Tail flippers on white shrimp are typically black near the base with bright yellow and green margins, while brown shrimp tails have red, dark green and occasionally light blue pigmentations. Pink shrimp almost always have an azure color on the tail and they usually have a dark red spot on the side of the abdomen. Brown and pink shrimps have grooves along the upper midline of the head and the upper midline of the lower region of the abdomen. The grooves on pink shrimp are slightly narrower than those of brown shrimp. White shrimp do not have grooves and typically have much longer antennae and a long rostrum (horn).

All shrimps have about the same life cycle. Spawning usually occurs in the ocean from near the beaches to several miles offshore. A single female produces between 500,000 and 1,000,000 eggs and may spawn several times. Natural mortality rates are extremely high for larval and juvenile shrimp. Probably less than one or two percent of the eggs spawned will survive to be adult shrimp.

Shrimp have three primary modes of locomotion. While feeding or resting on the bottom, shrimp will use their walking legs for moving short distances. While migrating long distances, shrimp will use their swimming legs. These appendages are located under the abdomen and beat in unison as the shrimp swims. Studies using tags suggest that shrimp may be able to swim two to five miles in a day. The third form of movement is the tail flex. This is a rapid contraction of the strong abdominal muscles that results in a powerful and rapid snap to the tail propelling the shrimp backwards. White shrimp commonly use this method to jump from the water. The tail snap or flick is a defensive mechanism allowing a shrimp to quickly evade predators.

If you are interested in freezing shrimp and aren't sure how to do it, please give us a call at the market, or drop us an email. We will be more than glad to help you out!

Shrimp Scampi

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white cooking wine
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions

Put the shrimp on a large pie pan or plate and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp so they lay flat and are evenly spaced.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the skillet. When the foaming subsides, raise the heat to high, and invert the plate of shrimp over the pan so the shrimp fall into the pan all at once. Cook the shrimp, without moving them, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and cook until pink. Do NOT overcook!! Transfer the shrimp to a bowl.

Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the cooking wine and lemon juice. Boil the liquid until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir the zest and parsley into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

Divide the shrimp among 4 plates or arrange on a platter and serve.