RECIPE ROUNDUP

Dinner from the Gulf
By Kevin Hargis

As a kid, I used to take seafood for granted. Growing up less than 20 miles from the Gulf Coast gave me plenty of opportunities to eat delicious shrimp, crab, fish and oysters that came right off the boat. I also learned firsthand what it took to catch, clean and cook food from the briny depths. Some days, instead of buying seafood at the store, we would head down to the beach to collect our own.

There were early morning fishing trips with my dad. We would get up before dawn and head to the granite jetties marking the mouth of the Freeport Harbor Channel. There, we would toss our lines in the water, hoping for flounder, speckled trout or, if we were really lucky, a redfish or two. I never had much luck myself, tallying more lost tackle than fish, but when the fish were biting, we’d have a delicious fresh supper.

The canals and marshes near the beach were another hunting ground. Armed with stakes, string and cheap chicken parts, my mom, sister and I would try to catch blue crabs. Meanwhile, my dad would go after shrimp with his cast net.

Successful crabbing took a little finesse. We’d shove a stake into the mud, tie a string to it and secure a piece of chicken to the other end. Then we’d toss the chicken into the water and wait. After a few minutes, we’d ever so gently reel in the string. Feeding crabs would follow the meat into shallow water, where it was simple to net them.

Not so simple was untangling the crabs from the net and putting them in a big plastic bucket. If we dropped one, it would quickly scuttle back toward the water, pincers held high and ready to snap little fingers. But even the ones that got away sometimes were swept up again minutes later.

While we filled our buckets, Dad would stand nearby and with an easy, practiced toss spin the cast net into deeper water, hauling up shrimp, which we kept, and other curious critters, such as croaker fish, which he’d toss back.

Back home after a long, sun-baked morning, we’d clean our catch. Mom would put a huge pot of water on to boil and before long, the crabs were cooked, and we’d feast on sweet claw meat, or she’d make stuffed crab in the shell.

The shrimp either went in the freezer or were immediately boiled or fried. Crunchy, and sweet, fried shrimp are a wonderful treat—and not a staple for those watching their waistlines.

Cleaning and deveining shrimp is a bit of a chore, but so worth it.

You should also peel and devein the shrimp for this creamy soup, which pits the sweetness of corn and shrimp against the spiciness of red pepper and green chile. Thanks to Katherine Bevins, wife of our sales director, Martin, for sharing the recipe.

SHRIMP AND CORN BISQUE

1/4 cup butter
2 onions, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 pounds small shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes and green chiles
2 cans (14 ounces) cream-style corn
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or
1 teaspoon dried basil
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper, or more to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic and bell pepper until onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about another 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Stir in tomatoes, corn, basil, milk and black and red pepper. Turn down heat and simmer 10 minutes. Taste, add salt and adjust spices. Add green onions and serve.

Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 406 calories, 25.5 g protein, 19 g fat, 33.4 g carbohydrates, 714 mg sodium, 184 mg cholesterol

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HOME COOKING

Recipe Contest Winner: Donna L. Zabojnik, Navarro County Electric Cooperative
Prize-Winning Recipe: Shrimp Tortilla Soup

When the call went out for recipes featuring shrimp and oysters, we received a boatful of responses, most of them featuring shrimp. Oysters, being somewhat more of an acquired taste for many, were not as well represented, but we did get some good recipes featuring the mollusks. The best of the bunch according to our taste testers was a tortilla soup with shrimp, adding a decidedly Gulf Coast twist.

SHRIMP TORTILLA SOUP

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
12 corn tortillas
2 cups peanut oil
1 large bunch scallions, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 finely chopped jalapeños
6 cups chopped tomatoes
3 cups tomato juice
1 pound Monterey jack cheese, shredded
3 avocados, diced

Peel and devein shrimp and set aside. In small bowl, combine paprika, cayenne and white pepper, oregano, salt, garlic powder and sugar. Set aside. Cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips. In 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil to just below boiling. Fry strips in two batches until golden brown; drain well. Allow oil to cool, then remove all but 3/4 cup of oil. Return pot to heat; add scallions, onion, cilantro and jalapeño and sauté until the onion is just transparent. Stir in tomatoes and reserved spice mix and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato juice and three cups of water and simmer another 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook five more minutes or until shrimp are pink and done. To serve, place a layer of tortilla strips in bottoms of soup bowls. Ladle in soup, then top with shredded cheese and avocado.

Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 474 calories, 25.7 g protein, 10.4 g fat, 62.8 g carbohydrates, 7.4 g fiber, 1,815 mg sodium, 129 mg cholesterol

OYSTERS FLORENTINE

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
2 teaspoons onion juice
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 pound fresh spinach, stems removed or 1 package (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed
12 large oysters
Rock salt

Combine butter, onion juice, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs; mix until well blended. Set aside. If using fresh spinach, cook and drain thoroughly. Coarsely chop spinach. Distribute spinach equally among six scallop shells sold for baking purposes (or use individual ramekins). Cover surface of baking sheet with rock salt. Place shells atop salt. Put two oysters on each shell. Top oysters with butter mixture, dividing it equally among shells. Preheat broiler on high. Put pan under broiler until butter melts and oysters are slightly brown around edges. Serve immediately.

Serving size: 1 shell. Per serving: 181 calories, 3.8 g protein, 15.2 g fat, 5.7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 220 mg sodium, 55 mg cholesterol

Lynda Housley
Navarro County Electric Cooperative

SHRIMP LOUISIANE

2 slices white bread, cubed
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds shrimp
1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
3 cups cooked rice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak bread cubes in milk. In large saucepan, sauté onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and garlic in butter until crisp-tender. Add shrimp and cook 3 minutes longer or until shrimp is pink. Stir in soup, rice, parsley, lemon juice and seasonings. Add soaked bread and mix well. Spoon into buttered, shallow 2-quart casserole; sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Serves 6.

Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 270 calories, 34.9 g protein, 6.5 g fat, 34.2 g carbohydrates, 1.8 g fiber, 1,014 mg sodium, 241 mg cholesterol

Joyce Moore
Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative

SPICY SHRIMP AND RICE

2 pounds shrimp
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry
1 teaspoon red pepper
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bell peppers, seeded
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups chopped green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces snow pea pods, fresh or frozen
Hot cooked rice to serve

Boil and peel shrimp. Set aside. Combine ketchup, soy sauce, sherry, red pepper, ginger, sugar and salt in small bowl and mix well. Slice bell pepper into 1-inch strips. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and stir-fry bell pepper for 1 minute; add green onions, garlic and snow peas and cook another minute. Add shrimp and ketchup mixture. Stir and continue to cook until all is thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.

Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 261 calories, 36.6 g protein, 6.6 g fat, 14.5 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g fiber, 1,179 mg sodium, 229 mg cholesterol

Joana Agerton
Big Country Electric Cooperative

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OYSTERS: ONLY IN “R” MONTHS

It’s an old rule of thumb that if you’re going to eat raw Gulf oysters, you should only do so in months ending in “R” (September-December). The reasons for this are twofold: Oysters spawn in warmer weather, spoiling their flavor for raw consumption. In addition, a bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally in warm Gulf waters and can cause severe illness or even death, even in healthy individuals, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Any time of year, you should know that eating raw shellfish is risky, especially for those with weakened immune systems. Cooking oysters is the safest way to go.

THE LOWDOWN ON SHRIMP

Buying Tips

• Look for shrimp with firm, uniformly translucent flesh.

• Take a whiff. If you smell an ammonia odor instead of the ocean, the shrimp are likely past their prime.

• You’ll likely not find fresh, never-frozen shrimp away from the seashore.

• Watch the labels to differentiate between farmed and wild-caught.

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RECIPE CONTEST

FEBRUARY’S recipe contest topic is FILLING THE BREADBOX. Bread is the staff of life, the old saying goes. Do you have a recipe for a favorite loaf that doesn’t involve a bread machine? The deadline is OCTOBER 10.

Send recipes to Home Cooking, 1122 Colorado, 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. You may also fax them to (512) 486-6254, e-mail them to recipes@texas-ec.org, or submit online at www.texascooppower.com. Please include your name, address and phone number, as well as the name of your electric co-op. The top winner will receive a copy of 60 Years of Home Cooking and a Texas-shaped trivet. Runners-up will also receive a prize.