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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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Cooking doesn't get much easier than this, but it still took me a while to catch on. Being a northerner, I didn't realize that everyone south of Baltimore knows spiced shrimp like New Englanders know maple syrup. I tried spicing up my shrimp and crabs with a spice mix called Shrimp and Crab Boil. I took the cue from the name and added the spices to boiling water to boil the shellfish. Not until I moved to Maryland crab country did I find that you douse the shellfish with spices and steam them over boiling water. Perhaps someone should market a spice mix called Shrimp and Crab Steam for us literalists. The shrimp are cooked with their shells on, so provide lots of napkins for spice-coated hands and beer or lemonade for spice-coated throats. Ingredients:
2 pounds raw medium shrimp, shells left on |
1/4 cup shrimp and crab boil spices such as old bay seasoning |
lemon wedges |
Directions:
1. Set an expandable steaming basket (use one with legs) in a pot and add water just until it touches the bottom of the basket. Cover the kettle and bring water to a rolling boil. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with the spices. Steam the shrimp, covered tightly, for 5 minutes or until firm and just cooked through.
2. Serve the shrimp with lemon wedges and a dish of the spices for dipping if desired.
3. Note: If you can't find a prepared spice mix you can make your own. Blend together:
4. 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon paprika 1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 finely ground bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
5. Simply Shrimp, Salmon and (Fish) Steaks, by Leslie Glover Pendleton HarperCollins
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