There's Shrimp Boats a Comin' There's....Maine Shrimp!

[Passadumkeg]

The season is here. We're getting Maine shrimp for $.50/lb. I lived in Norway before Maine and we often have a Norwegian Rekker Fest (shrimp party) A rekker fest is a shrimp peeling contest to make and consume open faced shrimp sandwiches (rekker smorbrod) and consume copious amounts of icy white wine. crusty white bread, steamed cold shrimp, butter, mayo (in a squeeze bottle), lemon juice, and lots of cold white wine. We also rip off the heads and fry them up in hot oil w/ pepper flakes and eat them w/ shel. Olive oil and garlic or cream pasta sauces,omelettes, shrimp salad, w/ avocado halves and on white pizza. How do you enjoy this seasonal treat?

[Passadumkeg]

Another sign of spring. The clam flats are "unfroze". Time to move from the winter shrimp/scallop fix to steamed clams. Can lobster season be far behind? Come on tourist season; I'm ready for ya.
Mud season sucks.

[pastrydiva]

I'm reading your posts and my heart is hurting.
Currently I'm living in Baltimore (let's all say 'ick'!), I'm from NYC = BUT my head and heart are in Northern NE...Maine or Vermont. Sigh. Soon.... soon....

But Pass, maybe you oughta buy up the shrimp and sell it to all of us for $1.50 - $2.00/# - 'seems we'd all still come out ahead!

[Passadumkeg]

Sure thing, hon. I'll trade you for crab cakes. We will traveling through Maryland in a month, either I95 or Bay Bridge Tunnel heading north. Any recs?

[foodperv]

does anyone know any cars/trucks i can buy from along the northern mass/southern n.h. area

[Trnrbrnr]

I'm making a trip up to Eastport. Maine March 10-12 so I can work on my tan. I'd like to load up on Maine shrimp if the prices are still pretty good. If they're a buck or so a pound, I'd probably load up a cooler full on the return trip. Are there any places still selling?

I've also been to Norway and love the open-faced shrimp sandwiches with mayo, sliced cucumbers and tomato.

If anybody knows a local source that they can put me in touch with, I'd make the connection while I'm up there.

[Passadumkeg]

We just bought 10 lbs for .75/lb 1/2 hr ago. Jr. is home for spring break. There are only 3 of us home. I wonder how much will be left after a white wine rekker fest! Lunch tomorrow rekker smobrod.
We snowshoed to our camp this afternoon. It was so gloriously warm I fell through the lake ice near shore up to my waist and our lab fell through stern first, and only 50 yds. away were pick up trucks on the ice, w/ people ice fishing.
Life is good

[joaninmaine]

I bought a couple of pounds from a guy who sells out of his car and they were awesomely fresh, with the heads on. I've never had them that way before. We boiled them with a little Old Bay for 2 minutes and they were heavenly. $1.10 a pound here. I kind of felt bad getting such a treat so cheap. I'll have to buy some of his haddock next week.

[Trnrbrnr]

Passadumkeg and Joan, where are your shrimp sources? Roadside, dock or store?

Thanks,

Chris

[Passadumkeg]

Both. Roadside, $.75. From my students' families' $.50. Starting to overdose.

[joaninmaine]

This guy sells roadside. It's a great idea. We're about 20 miles from the coast, and I'd rather buy from him than the grocery store. Super fresh and great prices.

[eeejo]

The guy Passadumkeag referred to earlier is, indeed, still selling out of his pickup truck, down the road from the Ellsworth Wal-Mart. It would be a little detour on your way to Eastport, but his price is the best I know of.

[Passadumkeg]

About a mile up Rt 3 from the Rt 1 triangle on the left just before Wally World.

[Trnrbrnr]

Great! I'm up in Eastport now, coming back Thursday. We came up on Rt 9, but will come back on Rt 1.

Thanks, guys!

P.S. Saw a sign for smelts in front of a house on the way up too.

[eeejo]

we had a lot of complaints in the restaurant about the tininess and mildness of maine shrimp, which i think is loco! it just needs as little cooking as possible, which is a good thing in my book...
someone already said ceviche and that's my favorite prep. i do it with scallops, watermelon, scallions and orange zest and it really hits the spot. i also like to puree shrimp into a paste and use it as a binder for crab/fishcakes; much more flavorful than egg and breadcrumbs (but not really specific to maine shrimp i s'pose!).

[lexpatti]

I just got some at Market Basket $3.99 lb and made this shrimp type salsa tower - I was playing with this, very similar to a crab one I did a while back - these really came out nice, I'm very critical of my own dishes and usually will decide it needs xyz next time - this was perfect flavors (sweet from the mango salsa, creamy and smooth chunky guac and citrus spicy shrimp. See pics, can you tell I'm proud!!!!

[hargau]

Nice! I also got a pound for $3.99 yesterday at MB.. I peeled mine, sauteed them with garlic, butter and some chinese spicy pepper sauce. Ate the entire pound myself in 1 sitting!

[lexpatti]

yum!! I recently saw a recipe for Margarita Shrimp - hopefully they are still on sale:
http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/12/mai...

[silver queen]

Wow, those towers are beautiful. I just bought 2 more lbs of headless ones from whole foods ($3.99 lb). I like to peel them while raw, then make a stock out of the shells and some celery. Strain out the shells, add plenty of salt, then bring back to a boil. Add the raw shrimp, turn off the heat and wait just a minute or two. Then I dip them in melted butter kept warm in a fondue pot. They're almost as good as lobster that way. If you don't eat them all, cool them down, then mix with good mayo for shrimp salad. Stuff them in half an avocado for a salad plate or in a buttered toasted hot dog bun for a shrimp roll!

[lexpatti]

mmmmm, love the avocado salad idea. Be fun to have a great meal of all maine shrimp courses!! I want to do that Margarita shrimp that someone posted.

[BerkshireTsarina]

This week, on sale at Price Chopper New England --- $3.99 a pound. As soon as the snow ends, I'm off to catch my shrimp! They're great to stuff avocadoes; also poached shell-on in Old Bay seasoning and then happily shelled and consumed.

[poptart]

The other night I made a simple rice bowl with steamed jasmine rice, topped with a saute of garlic, butter, asparagus, broccoli and some spinach, throw in the Maine shrimp at the end, drizzle with soy sauce,

Tonight some of those Maine shrimp will go into some soup:
homemade stock, rice noodles, spinach, mushroom.

Soon I will have to go back to WF for another supply for the freezer! This is my first time discovering the shrimp. They are such a nice find, and to have shrimp that come from this side of the planet, be so affordable is such a nice thing,

[kchurchill5]

Just rub it in some more. I'm so jealous :)

[Passadumkeg]

Yesterday after digging out from another blizzard; 5 lb shrimp, peel eat, drink beer in the dark (no power) and watch the snow fall!

[im hungry]

not a bad way to pass the time,the shrimp and beer,not the shoveling!!

[kchurchill5]

It was 73 and georgous and I am still jealous ... well regarding the shrimp and beer part.

[kchurchill5]

I need to move ... FYI, the wok for the shimp sounds yummy or the pizza. Big fan of different pizzas.

[deweyweber54]

I'll chime in here on the maine shrimp thing... Love 'em!
Thanks Pass for your post!
We live in 'metro west' of Boston; anyone found a decent source for maine shrimp at a good price around here (Concord/Arlington)? Seems like the prices are more around $5 - $6 a pound.
Wish we could find a pickup on the side of the road with a maine shrimp sign in this area.

[BostonZest]

I picked up a pound at Whole Foods today for $3.99!

[deweyweber54]

Thanks Zest! I'll try Whole Foods at Fresh Pond tomorrow.
BTW, if memory serves, I think you had a pretty good sounding recipe for maine shrimp... would you mind posting it with us?

[BostonZest]

I thought to ask and the shrimp is only on sale through Monday night and I bought mine at Symphony in Boston.

Here's a link to Margarita Shrimp. That's what I'm making.

http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/12/mai...

[Passadumkeg]

Yum.

[Julie S]

WOW sounds better than my similar-themed favorite: basically sliced garlic in olive oil, shrimpies and a good crisp spanish sherry (I used an amontillado left over (somehow) in the fridge), just long enough in that heavy skillet to get it all piping hot, then the skillet comes *right to the table* with crusty bread and more sherry or white vino mmm mmm mmm Will try margarita version for 5 de Mayo, or sooner!

[BostonZest]

Please let me know if you like it and if you added any personal touches. I'd love to add your version to my record of this one.

[cfrolio]

BZ--I tried your Margarita Shrimp last weekend and loved it--thanks very much!

[lexpatti]

I've been wanting to make this recipe, thank you!! Did last night, fantastic - I did add garlic at the end and bay seasoning (I'm a season freak). One question, how long does it take to burn off the alchohol? I shoudl look that up as hubby doesn't do any!!!

[hilltowner]

$3.99 a pound at WF in Hadley today.

[Big Fat Moe]

Take a salt rock, heat it in the oven for 1/2 hour at 400 degrees. Put five of these sweet Maine shrimp on a thin wooden skewer. Take rock out of oven. Cook the shrimp on the salt rock for 20 seconds on each side. Eat. Hot charred yet almost raw. YUM!

[BerkshireTsarina]

Way down south here, the Maine shrimp have come and gone, at about 2.99 per pound, sometimes 3.99. They're so rare and so good, I just cook them briefly in really briny water, and then we sit and gorge. But that seems to be it for the season. :-(

[mjoyous]

Whole Foods in Hadley,MA had fresh Maine shrimp this past Friday, but for $5.99 a pound.

[Passadumkeg]

The shrimp season has been extended this year, to the end of March.

[BerkshireTsarina]

Pass, Hurray!
mjoyous amd Zest, I'll check out Whole Foods in Hadley on Wednesday. Maybe our Price Chopper will actually get some more in, if so, I'll post.

[Passadumkeg]

I was wrong! Until the end of May! The longest season in years!

[oystertripe]

They're ideal for potted shrimp. The English (at least the lucky few who can get them) cook their tiny brown shrimp, pack them in butter with maybe a touch of mace, let them sit a bit to develop flavor, then spread the shrimpy, buttery goodness on decent bread.

If you can get them so fresh that they are still alive, Cantonese-style Drunken Prawns is fun: simply dump some live shrimp into seasoned Shia Xing wine in a clear, flame-proof glass pot. The shrimp will become a little tipsy, at which point you put the pot on heat just until it boils. Serve with a simple dipping sauce, like light soy with scallions & ginger. You could make up your own Maine-style drunken prawns, with whatever wine or beer you fancy.

I am envious of your very fresh and inexpensive shrimp; we live in Rhode Island: I've seen the shrimp only at Dave's Market so far, for $2.99/lb. ... on sale. Yes, the Ocean State: try to find a whole, local fish or local oysters anywhere in Northern RI. Sad.

Enjoy your bounty!

[Passadumkeg]

Yes, I remember potted shrimp. These are the same shrimp as in the North Sea. Drunken anything sounds good.

[Raedia]

Has any one seen these for sale in Vermont? This thread has got me so hungry now...

[poptart]

Got some nice Maine shrimp and made a white pizza with arugula, garlic and the shrimp on top. But I may have to try the open-face sandwich.

Also just read an interesting description for "prawn paste", which MMRuth describes in this thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/593761

Why are the Maine shrimp pink when raw?? Is it because they are from the colder waters?

[trufflehound]

They nibble on Flamingos toes.

[poptart]

Must be those North Atlantic Flamingos!
:-)

[Gio]

Cooking these shrimp in the wok seems like a super way to prepare them. Here north of Boston they're about 3.99/lb. in a local supermarket. They're on my shopping list for Wednesday.

[Passadumkeg]

Funny, the Shaws/Hanneford charges the same, but the truck up the hill is only $.75/lb and fresh fish, scallops and lobbers too.

[trufflehound]

I like to wok them salt and pepper style.The whole shrimp, heads, shells and all and eat them that way. The intense heat crisps the shells and the juices in the head are oh so good. Sometimes I find em still jumping. At Courthose or New Deal in Cambridge they sell between 3-5 pound.

[Infomaniac]

I like to wok them saly & pepper style too, and BostonZest posted a Margarita Style Maine Shrimp recipe in the Home Cooking section not to long ago that was really good. These shrimp also work well in a Ceviche. Usually pay about 3/lb....it's not worth driving 50 mile to save money for them.

[Passadumkeg]

Thanks. Ceviche, of course! How can I be do dumb. I make scallop, and mackeral ceviches. I find tomato sauces too strong for the mild, sweet shrimp.
ps, I'm probably 6 hrs drtive north of you; real downeast. My student speak w/ quite a thick downeast acent. Jeesum crow, bub!

[im hungry]

ok ,where can i get shrimp for .50 a lb?? im on my way up...

[Passadumkeg]

I get them from my students. Lobstering families that shrmp and scallop in the winter. Have you ever been to Acadia Nation'l Park? There's a truck, near Wallmart that sells them for $.75/ lb. What do you pay? How do you prepare Mane shrimp?

[mainemal]

While I agree that woking is fine, I tried something different last night, with spectacular results. Used the recipe for Shrimp Tom Yum in Hot Lime Leaf Broth from the "Hot/Sour/Salty/Sweet" (think that's the title) cookbook from Naomi Duguid and Jeff Alpert about food from the Mekong. Easy to make (took about 20 minutes), great hot and sour flavor.

[kchurchill5]

I'll follow... WOW, we are 8.99 lb. It's worth the drive.