Now’s the time to enjoy fresh Pacific shrimp

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, April 25, 2006

As the 90-foot trawler slices through crested waves, a bank of wheeling, squawking gulls hangs overhead.

The net has just been brought aboard after an hour’s drag through the chill waters off the Oregon coast, and half a ton of tiny Pacific shrimp tumble out into the sorting hopper.

Commercial fishing is never a cakewalk. But at least local shrimpers work during the slightly more civilized weather period between April 1 and Oct. 31. When the weather’s good the larger boats will stay out up to five days, stowing their catch on ice.

Shrimp trawlers are double-rigged, meaning they use two nets, as opposed to the single rigged trawlers fishing for groundfish. The nets ride at depths ranging from 60 to 600 feet, depending how far out to sea they are.

The season is designed to avoid the reproductive period of the shrimp stock. Even so, and for reasons not completely understood, the annual harvest varies on a roller-coaster 10-year cycle, from as much as 57 million pounds to as little as 4 million.

Although cold water shrimp are smaller than most of their warm water counterparts, they’re still a prized commodity. Leading producers of cold water varieties are Canada, Iceland, Greenland and Norway.

Their catches are dominated by two species, Pandalus borealis and Pandalus jordani. The P. Borealis tend to be larger than P. jordani and produce cooked and peeled meats that generally range from 90 to 300 shrimps per pound, which is how you’ll find them described in the seafood case.

The smaller P. jordani is the most common species from Northern California to Southeast Alaska, and range in size from 250 per pound up to 500 per pound – those guys are really tiny!

Beyond all of that technical stuff, my bottom line is that I simply love fresh Pacific shrimp when they’re in season. They’re already cooked and peeled, so they’re healthy, tasty and convenient.

I never tire of shrimp cocktails. But eventually, I explore all the other wonderful approaches to enjoying this Pacific Northwest treat.

This is one of my favorite sauces to serve at my fun, make-your-own shrimp cocktail bar.

Jan’s remoulade sauce

1/4cup finely chopped celery, divided

1/4cup finely chopped green onions, divided

1/4cup finely chopped parsley, divided

2tablespoons canned pimiento, drained

3tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

2tablespoons red wine vinegar

1tablespoon prepared horseradish (not creamed)

1/2cup mayonnaise

1/2teaspoon paprika

1/8teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4teaspoon salt

Place 2 tablespoons each of the chopped celery, green onion and parsley in a blender or food processor, along with the drained pimientos, mustard, vinegar, and horseradish. Blend to a paste, then scrape out the mixture and whisk into the mayonnaise, along with the reserved celery, green onions, parsley, and the paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour for flavors to develop. Adjust seasoning before serving.

Makes about 11/4 cups.

The sauce will keep for 3 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

Jan’s zesty cocktail sauce

3/4cup bottled chili sauce (you’ll find it near the ketchup)

3tablespoons finely minced celery hearts

2tablespoons finely minced green onion

1 1/2tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2teaspoons prepared horseradish (not creamed)

1/2teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3-4dashes liquid hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Combine all of the ingredients. Let stand at least 15 minutes for flavors to blend and develop, then taste for seasoning, adding additional horseradish, Worcestershire, or hot pepper sauce to taste. Keep refrigerated; will keep for one to two months or more.

Makes about 1 cup.

Jan’s shrimp, avocado and tomato salad

About 2 cups fresh baby salad greens

Fresh tomato slices (one large or 3 small slices per person)

1avocado, peeled, seeded, and sliced

3slices thick-cut bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled

1cup (about 1/3 pound) bay shrimp

Optional garnishes: cooked fresh asparagus spears, 2 peeled and quartered hard-cooked eggs)

Louis dressing (recipe follows)

Divide the greens between two plates. Arrange tomatoes on top of the greens. Top with avocado slices, then the bacon pieces, shrimp, and optional garnishes if using. Drizzle with some of the Louis dressing and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Louis dressing: Whisk together 2 tablespoons bottled chili sauce (look for it near the ketchup), 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard, 1 tablespoon minced green onion, and 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

Willamette Valley salad

2quarts of mixed salad greens, torn into pieces

2avocados, peeled and sliced

1/2pound fresh Pacific shrimp

1/4pound blue cheese, crumbled

Dijon vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1cup Oregon hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

In large salad bowl, toss together the salad greens, avocados, shrimp and blue cheese. Toss with enough of the vinaigrette to evenly coat the ingredients, add the hazelnuts, toss again and serve.

Yields 8 servings.

Dijon vinaigrette: Whisk together 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 cloves finely minced or pressed garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and freshly-ground black pepper. Whisk in 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

Yields 11/8 cup of dressing.

Adapted from “From Portland’s Palate,” by The Junior League of Portland

My shrimp Louis salad

1head of green or red-leaf lettuce, or an assortment of leaf lettuces

About 1/2 pound Pacific shrimp

2hard-cooked eggs, sliced or quartered

Fresh asparagus spears (if in season), lightly steamed and cooled

Cherry tomatoes (by summer, you can use fresh local guys)

Finely chopped celery

1/2cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

Creamy Louis dressing (recipe follows)

Lemon wedges

Line 2 dinner plates or shallow salad bowls with outer lettuce leaves; tear the remaining leaves and arrange on top. Pile the shrimp in the center, then arrange the eggs, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, celery, cumber slices, and lemon wedges around the sides. Drizzle on about 1/4 cup of the Louis dressing, then pass the remaining at the table.

Yields 2 servings.

Creamy Louis dressing: Whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons chili sauce, 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon of chopped chives.

Note: For an alternate dressing, omit the mayonnaise, and after whisking in all of the other ingredients, whisk in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

Jan’s Oregon shrimp broil

8slices sourdough bread, toasted

12ounces cream cheese

1/2cup mayonnaise

1/4cup dry sherry

1/3cup chopped green onion

2teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4teaspoon salt

1/2pound Pacific bay shrimp

1/3cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, gently heat the cream cheese over medium heat until softened. Remove from heat. Note: The cream cheese can also be softened in a microwaveable bowl in a microwave.

Whisk in the mayonnaise, sherry, green onion, Dijon mustard and salt. Fold in the shrimp and Parmesan and continue heating until mixture is hot throughout.

Spread the shrimp mixture on the toasted slices of bread and broil until lightly golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 open-faced sandwiches.

* Right before using, always tumble the shrimp into a strainer and give them a gentle rinse to wash away any trace of fishiness.

* Fresh are best. But later in the season you’re likely to enounter this season’s harvest that have been frozen. When that’s all I am able to find, I bypass the thawed shrimps in the fish case and ask the merchant to sell me shrimps straight out of the freezer.

They can do this if the shrimps have been individually quick frozen, as opposed to frozen in a large, solid block. IQF simply means that individual shrimp are frozen and then glazed by dipping in or spraying with water, then refrozen. They are then packed rather loosely, which enables the merchant to sell them in as small or large a quantity as you desire.

* To thaw IQF shrimps, simply spread them out on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and place them in the refrigerator overnight. Before using, tumble them into a strainer and refresh their flavor with a gentle rinse of cool water; drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

* Shrimp cocktails are still my hands-down favorite preparation. And my most fun form of said cocktail is a make-your-own shrimp cocktail bar, an arrangement in which diners assemble their own from an array of chopped celery and colorful peppers, two different cocktail sauces and a big bowl of shrimp.

I’ve done this in the casual outdoor settings of campgrounds and picnics (just put out the clear plastic cups and bowls), as well as more formal events where my loveliest crystal martini glasses are employed.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com