Description
These come off day boats out of Port Aransas and are on ice in our case the same afternoon they land. Brown shrimp have a heavier, more mineral flavor than whites, which is what you want if you are cooking them in a stock or a boil rather than eating them plain. We sell them head-on at 16 to 20 count and we do not treat them with sodium tripolyphosphate, so they will not weep white foam in the pan.
Keep the heads. Pull them before you cook, brown them in a little oil and simmer twenty minutes for a stock that will carry a gumbo or a shrimp and grits far better than water. For the shrimp themselves, high heat and short time, two minutes a side at most, and pull them as the last of the grey turns.
Specification
- Catch: wild, Gulf of Mexico off Port Aransas
- Method: day boat trawl, landed and iced same day
- Grade: 16-20 count per pound, head-on shell-on
- Treatment: none, no phosphates or sulfites added
- Contains: crustacean shellfish
Storage
Fresh shrimp are a two day item, so plan to cook them the day you buy or the day after and keep them on ice in the fridge, not just in a bag. If you must freeze them, do it head-off in a container of water so they do not burn.
Priya Raman (verified owner) –
Bought two pounds for a boil and they held their texture instead of going to mush like the frozen ones do. The counter staff told me exactly which boat they came off, which I did not expect and appreciated.
L. Fuentes (verified owner) –
You can tell immediately these are untreated because they actually sear instead of releasing water into the pan. I made stock from the heads and it was worth the price of the shrimp on its own. The 16-20 count is a good all purpose size.
Grant W. (verified owner) –
Quality is not in question, these are excellent shrimp. My issue is that head-on means you are paying per pound for a lot of shell, so the real yield is closer to half. Fine once you know, but I wish that were stated more plainly up front.