Coast Cuisine - July 2015

The Gulf Coast shrimp season is approaching its peak and coast residents have dozens of delicious options when it comes to eating them!
- story by Lisa Monti/photos by Ellis Anderson

Shrimply Delightful!

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We seafood lovers consider ourselves very lucky to have plenty of fresh Gulf fish, oysters, crabs and shrimp available year round. Summertime especially seems to be prime time for fans of seafood, especially shrimp, which is the most popular seafood in the U.S.

Wild Gulf shrimp come in three varieties: brown, white and pink or spotted, according to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources’ Mississippi Gulf Seafood marketing program.

The shrimp have their own look and taste, according to the DMR. Brown shrimp have a distinct salty flavor and are characterized by grooves on the back of their shells. Found in shallow waters, they bury themselves in the sand during the day to hide from predators.

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Shrimp Scampi at Trapani's Eatery

The larger white shrimp have long antennas, smooth shells and a mild, sweet taste. The tender meat is a favorite of cooks and the shells are easier to peel than other types of shrimp. Mississippi Gulf White Shrimp have light gray bodies, greenish tails and a yellow band on their mid-sections.

Mississippi Gulf Pink Shrimp are perfect for boiling because they’re easy to peel and its firm, tender meat is mild and sweet. It’s the largest of the Mississippi Gulf shrimp, reaching up to 11 inches.

You can buy shrimp off the boat, out of the back of a van, from the seafood market, the grocery store or you can catch them yourself.

The versatile shrimp lends itself to various preparations and dishes. Remember Forrest Gump? Shrimp can be baked, blackened, boiled, broiled, deep fried, grilled, poached, sauteed, seared and steamed. It stars in shrimp and grits, barbecue shrimp, jambalaya, gumbo, tomato-stuffed salad, seafood pasta and casserole and my favorite: shrimp stuffed with crabmeat. The list goes on. Shrimp also are rich in nutrients, low in fat and calories and very high in protein.

Diners at our local restaurants don’t have to wade too far into a menu to find shrimp appetizers, entrees, poboys, pasta and salads.

Rickey Peters of Rickey’s Off the Tracks said he chooses shrimp by size, not by species. The current customer favorite is shrimp remoulade with his special Creole mayo sauce.

Tony Trapani of Trapani’s Eatery declared that domestic shrimp are the best and that size or species doesn’t matter. Customers are ordering plenty of fried shrimp as well as the blackened and grilled versions.

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