Killer Shrimp, or something like it.....

I lived in Southern California for about 15 years.  I will say during that time I wasn't quite as into food as I am now and my likes were pretty basic. Even with that it wasn't very often that I found a restaurant that really made an impression.  I was a big fan of Tito's Tacos in Culver City.  They sell basic, crispy tacos by the boat load.  People would line up before they opened and there would be a line when they closed the doors.  The tacos were basic, good and consistent.  Their salsa was great, burritos were excellent and they had this cold, runny avocado sauce that they called guacamole that was extremely popular.  People would walk out of there with boxes of tacos. We would make the short trek there for lunch and bring back a couple dozen to snack on for the rest of the afternoon.  From what I understand Tito's is still going strong and probably outsells all those trendy taco trucks in LA.  If you are in the Los Angeles area and feel like some tacos, I highly recommend them. Tito's Tacos Website

But this entry isn't about tacos its about a shrimp dish that I fell for long ago.  I lived in West Los Angeles on the border of Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey.  It was a great little area to live in if you were single and had money to burn.  Nothing comes cheap out there.   I had heard a few people talking about this little restaurant that basically just served shrimp and that it was amazing. It wasn't far from where I lived so I went and tried it one night. It was exactly as they had said....amazing.  A dish so seemingly simple but so delicious.  Large plump shrimp floating in a big bowl of spicy red broth that was heaven to the taste buds.  Along with the shrimp the dish is served with a mound of French bread pieces which you use for dipping so you can savor every drop of broth. They also serve it with rice or angel hair pasta. I liked it best with just the shrimp, broth and bread.

I never would have guessed that this little hole in the wall back in the corner on the second floor of a strip mall would have created a dish that I would consider my favorite shrimp dish ever. But they did.  I was only able to enjoy this pleasure a few times before I moved out of the area and let it slip my mind.  By the time I came around and wanted to go back they had closed.  I tried a few other places that served similar dishes but none were ever quite as good.

And so time passed, I moved back to Texas and find myself more into food than ever.  I happened to follow a couple of "SoCal" food critics and newspaper folks on Twitter and I caught a mention that my old favorite was back in business.  I did a quick google of the name and there they were,  "Killer Shrimp".  It got me thinking that maybe now that I know a few things that I could possibly recreate the dish that had so long ago.  I searched for recipes and found several knock offs that seemed like they might be correct.  I took the basics from each one and gave it a try.  The results were EXCELLENT!  It had been so long that I am not sure exactly how the broth tasted but this one was good.  It was very good.  I don't know if its even close to what they were making but I will definitely be making this again and I already have ideas for variations using the same broth.  Hopefully you will try this and like it as much as I did.  Killer Shrimp Website

Ingredients

40 oz Low Sodium Chicken Stock
6-8 oz Clam Broth or Clam Juice
1 tbsp Dried Rosemary
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Celery Seed
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed and minced
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1/2 stick of Butter
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (more or less depending on the heat you want, 2 tsp was nice and spicy)
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 - 1 1/2 lbs 21-25 shrimp, deviened (you can peel them or leave the peel on, I say leave the shell on)
1 large loaf of French Bread, torn or sliced into large chunks

Method

Using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, grind up the rosemary, thyme, celery seed, black pepper and red pepper. Put the ground spices/herbs into a 4 qt stock pot along with the rest of the ingredients except for the shrimp.  Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 1 hour but if you can let it simmer for 2-3 hours it will be even better. Cover with a lid while simmering but leave it cracked open a just a little.

When you are ready to serve bring the heat up just a little so that the broth is just about to boil again. Add all the shrimp and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the shrimp are almost done.  Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl. Serve this family style with the bread on the side for dipping. Give everyone a bowl and use a large spoon or ladle to serve.  This is finger food. Pick the shrimp out of the broth with your fingers, peel it and eat it.  Use the bread to sop up the sauce left in your bowl.  You might get a little sweat on your forehead depending on how much red pepper you used.

I hope you enjoy this.

Some variations I am thinking of.....

     a) Thicken the broth just a little with a roux and add some sausage.
     b) Before adding the shrimp add a cup of rice. Cook until the rice is done then add the shrimp.
     c)  Add Scallops and Crawfish along with the shrimp

Dad's Favorite Shrimp Dip

My grandmother started making this dish around the holidays somewhere in the early 1980s. I'm sure she found the recipe in a magazine somewhere but it was one of my dad's favorite holiday items.  I've taken a few liberties with it over the years and now make my own version of it. Its definitely not a healthy snack but then again, most of my stuff isn't geared toward the low-fat, low-carb crowd.

This dip is great with either salty tortilla chips or with any type of buttery crackers.


Ingredients

2 - 8oz bricks of cream cheese
1 - stick of butter
8 medium cooked shrimp, chopped (peeled, deveined, tails removed)
3 green onions, chopped (white and green sections)
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of kosher salt



Method

In a double boiler melt the cream cheese and butter until they
combine into a smooth but not runny mixture.  Stir continuously.

Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, green onions,
garlic and chopped shrimp. 

Stir all together.

Drizzle the olive oil over the top and swirl into the mixture. 

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

* Replace 1/2 of one of the cream cheese bricks with
   4 oz of goat cheese to add a little different flavor

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp for Two

I thought this would be a quick and easy dinner for us and I was right. Plus, it came out better than I expected.  Its very spicy but not so spicy that you can't get the flavor. Try this with some basic white rice and a vegetable on the side.

Ingredients

12 Large Shrimp, peeled and de-veined (remove tails if you like)

2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Sriracha Chile Garlic Paste
1 teaspoon fresh lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Agave Nectar
1 large carrot, peeled, cut into thin matchstick strips
2 green onions/scallions, cut on the bias into inch pieces.
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Method

In a glass bowl whisk together chile garlic paste, lime zest, lime juice and agave nectar.
Toss in the shrimp, toss to coat the shrimp completely

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Add carrots and cook until carrots
start to soften. Bump the heat up to high, let the pan get hot and pour in the shrimp and marinade.
Toss and stir to coat. Cook the shrimp a couple of minutes on each side until it turns pink.
Be careful not to overcook it or it will be tough and rubbery.  As the shrimp starts to finish up, add in the
chopped scallion and cilantro. Toss and serve immediately.