I went down to the Eastern Shore floating fish market in the Washington Channel on Maine Avenue. Captain White's is my favorite place. John "Duke" Anthony once told me that this one of the few places where you could still see the "old Washington." He should know. I bought some of this and that. A kilo of white head-on shrimp went in the bag. I am marinating the shrimp bodies to cook on the grill tonight, an east Asian marinade. My wife likes tuna steaks, so one of those for her.
I saw someone eating tempura shrimp heads on the tube a while back. This looked great. I saved those. Does anyone have a favorite recipe? pl
Hmmm, the very first time I ate shrimp it was shells and all (whiskey was involved).
Thankfully, before I could repeat the performance a helpful lady pointed out that they should be peeled. Shrimp heads? Oooh, I don't THINK so.
Posted by: Basilisk | 16 July 2011 at 05:06 PM
Your question intrigued me - particularly as I have a large bag of the creatures in my fridge needing beheading. Usually I use them to make stock ... But tomorrow I'm going to be trying out the recipe found at the URI below:
http://www.myspace.com/climbhighak/blog/431761719
Posted by: markfromireland | 16 July 2011 at 07:21 PM
Balilisk
I paid PC's sister 40 dollars to eat her first raw poyster. Now, I have to get her brother to try fried shrimp heads. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 16 July 2011 at 08:27 PM
Pat,
I watched "America's Test Kitchen" this morning. Unfortunately, no shrimp head recipes were mentioned. But good luck with them anyway. Enjoy!
Posted by: Jackie | 16 July 2011 at 08:53 PM
Never cared for shrimp, I'm a lobster man. I can eat a ton of lobster. My wife loves shrimp.
Enjoy your shrimp and tuna steak. :)
Posted by: J | 16 July 2011 at 09:11 PM
I like the whole shrimp deep fried and salted with chopped fresh hot chilis on top. I order this in China Town often, but have never tried making it on my own. The heads are very good this way.
Posted by: Nancy K | 16 July 2011 at 09:39 PM
Never heard of eating the heads before. Gonna have to try it. Someday...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgWFYCN-rME
Garlic, curry, soy sauce.
Posted by: Mark Logan | 16 July 2011 at 10:02 PM
The shrimp heads are great for making shrimp creole. The fat resides in the heads and if you simmer and make a stock and mix it with crushed or fresh skinned and seeded maters. . . .Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Posted by: Mj | 16 July 2011 at 10:17 PM
Eating shrimp heads? I seem to remember Papa Hemingway reportedly doing something like that down in the Keys. Personally I'm with markfromireland & use shrimp heads for making fish stock.
My husband, on the other hand, has been known to eat the critters live at a sushi place down on Lankershim Blvd. in NoHo- this dubious delicacy is called Sweet Shrimp on their menu.
Posted by: Maureen Lang | 16 July 2011 at 11:39 PM
That part of DC always reminds me a little of home. For the shrimp heads, my first instinct is to lightly bread 'em and fry 'em. I don't think there's anything that can't be eaten after being breaded and fried. Markfromireland's recipe suggesting removing the shells from the heads does sound like a good idea... unless you're feeding a likkered up Basilisk. I always marveled at my parents eating the soft shell crab sandwiches at a shoreside seafood stand in East Haven, Connecticut. I and my brothers and sisters always had the fried clams, with stomachs intact of course. The big treat at the kids table during Wigilia was always big piles of fried smelts... the whole smelts.
Posted by: The Twisted Genius | 17 July 2011 at 12:44 AM
Maureen
John does that? I AM impressed. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 17 July 2011 at 09:37 AM
TTG
The Lebanese (in Lebanon) eat little fishies called "bizri" (bait fish)These little guys are about an inch and a half long. They dip them out of a fish tank with an aquarium net roll them around in the breading and then - Bam! in the frier. Well, at least they don't know it's coming. They come out just like little smelts, crispy and wonderful, great with a cold beer. The Shia won't eat them. Why? I don't know. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 17 July 2011 at 09:49 AM
Colonel Lang,
Steamed,they are perfectly matched , with raw baluts and poi.
Nightsticker
USMC 65-72
FBI 72-96
Posted by: Nightsticker | 17 July 2011 at 10:29 AM
Pat,
When Chiba (the sushi bar down on Lankershim near Saticoy) has Sweet Shrimp on the menu, the chef will pull out a bucket & offer the live shrimp to you served one of two ways: he'll quickly slice the heads off & you get a wriggling mass of heads & bodies in a bowl with choice of sauces, or you order the shrimp intact & bite the heads off yourself.
I believe a certain amount of Sapporo intake is also usually involved.
Posted by: Maureen Lang | 17 July 2011 at 10:33 AM
Well, I'm wavering now, the recipe sounds pretty good.
BTW, if that offer is still on for eating oysters, please cut me in. I'll start with a dozen.
Posted by: Basilisk | 17 July 2011 at 11:35 AM
Mj--that's absolutely right. You can make the best stock in the world for creole/cajun by using shrimp heads and shells--great for shrimp creole like you say, plus crawfish etouffe, gumbo, jambalaya, and so on. A good stock is the key to so much good cooking--and it's just about idiot proof and cheap with scraps, bones, shells, etc.
In Louisiana, we'd suck on the crawfish heads, but shrimp heads for eating? Don't know about that one. Would sure try it though.
Posted by: steve | 17 July 2011 at 11:49 AM
baslisk
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/duff-on-fried-shrimp-heads/40523.html
pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 17 July 2011 at 04:02 PM
I beg to report success. That recipe I linked to above is a good one.
I was a but dubious about the batter but in fact it turned out very light and palatable.
What didn't turn out at all were the photos we took of the process.
Posted by: markfromireland | 17 July 2011 at 06:36 PM
Pat,
Peeled and deveined, then sauté in butter and Old Bay (not too heavy). When they just turn white turn 'em over. About 2 minutes a side. A cold Tri-City Brewings's Hell's Half Mile to wash them down with, great in weather like this. Don't know about the heads.
Posted by: Fred | 17 July 2011 at 07:04 PM
Col - And to keep it local put some mumbo sauce on them.
http://www.food.com/recipe/kens-mumbo-sauce-221598
Posted by: MTJY | 17 July 2011 at 07:15 PM
Just make sure you ask and your shrimp isn't from China--not safe!
Posted by: TamBram | 18 July 2011 at 02:28 AM
Col,
You're revealing one of my best kept secrets. My Chinese-American wife introduced me to deep-fried shrimp heads. Believe it or not, I now have my Tarheel family addicted.
Simply batter your shrimp heads to taste (tempura, cajun, or Old Bay). I simply mix flour, cornmeal & seasoning in a plastic bag & shake. Then deep-fry in 350-375 degree grease. I generally over cook the shrimp heads to a golden brown so that I have a crisp, nutty flavored dish. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.
Delicious.
Hatch-man
Posted by: Bill Hatch | 19 July 2011 at 10:11 AM
Use corn flour instead of corn meal.
Posted by: Mj | 19 July 2011 at 06:41 PM
Fried Prawn Heads - Bengali Style. (Freshwater prawns available in any Asian market selling Sea food.
Marinate the heads in
1/2 Tsp of Turmeric
1 tsp of Garlic paste
1/2 Tsp of red Cayenne Pepper Powder
Deep fry in 4 table spoons of Mustard Oil (available in any Indian Grocery) or Canola Oil. Time to fry 5-6 minutes
Serve over plain Rice!
Posted by: RK | 22 July 2011 at 01:55 PM