Volume 8, Issue 107 - June 7, 2005

Hello Recipe Club,

Some things to know about shrimp.

Unless you live in Louisiana or Florida, most shrimp sold, is frozen. Restaurants buy shrimp in five pound units and they are available in your supermarket freezers in one and two pound bags. Typically you are only buying the tail meat and it is sold either shell-on, peeled and de-veined or already cooked. If you buy your shrimp in a retail seafood market, most likely it will be thawed.

Shrimp are sold by the unit. By that I mean, they are sold by the amount of tails in a pound. 16-20 count would be much larger than a 51-60 count. Sometimes you'll see descriptions like Jumbo or Colossal. These terms are used improperly sometimes, so go by the count and you will be safe.

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Oyster Fritters Cajun Style

Ingredients:

1/4 pound butter
48 shucked oysters with liquid
6 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cups flour, all purpose is best
1 cup milk or half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup peanut oil

Preparation:

Melt the butter in pan at approximately 300 degrees F. Sauté the oysters in the melted butter for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and quarter them once you can handle them easily.

Mix all other ingredients in a bowl, including the oyster liquid. NOTE: Control the thickness of the fritter batter by the amount of oyster liquid that you add. The fritter mixture should be tight enough to mount on a spoon.

Mix in the oysters. Drop a tablespoon full of the batter into preheated oil (350 degrees F.) and fry until golden brown.

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Grilled Shrimp and Pancetta with Garbanzo Salsa

Ingredients:

24 large shrimp
1/3 pound pancetta
12 soaked bamboo skewers

Garbanzo Salsa:

1 small can garbanzo beans (8 ounces)
1 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup yogurt, lowfat, unflavored
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Preparation:

Peel shrimp (leave on tail section, if desired), devein, and rinse. Divide pancetta into 24 equal pieces. Tightly wrap a pancetta piece around each shrimp.

Push a slender skewer through the pancetta and shrimp just above the shrimp's tail and out through the pancetta at the fat end of the shrimp. Push another pancetta wrapped shrimp onto the skewer in the same fashion; use 2 shrimp per skewer. If assembled ahead, cover and chill up until the next day.

Lay shrimp on a grill 2 to 4 inches above a solid bed of medium hot coal (you can hold your hand at grill level for only 3 to 4 seconds). Turn frequently (watch for flares from drips) to brown evenly, cooking until shrimp are opaque in center (cut to test), about 5 minutes. Dunk shrimp in salsa, as desired.

Garbanzo Salsa:

Drain garbanzos; whirl smooth in a food processor or blender with cilantro, yogurt, onions, and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Moroccan Style Salmon

Ingredients:

1 small onion, sliced
2 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
28 ounces canned tomatoes whole, peeled, coarsely chopped, reserving liquid
4 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon peel, grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
6 (6 ounce each) salmon fillets
2 tablespoons almonds chopped, toasted
2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
3 cups cooked couscous or rice

Preparation:

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat until golden. Stir in tomatoes, tomato liquid, honey, lemon peel and cumin. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt, pepper and cayenne, to taste.

Meanwhile, season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat, allowing 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part. Place each fillet on a dinner plate. Top with tomato sauce, sprinkle with almonds and cilantro. Serve with couscous or rice.

Note: Some tasty bread and a fruit dessert would round out this meal.