Shrimp: Love it but be careful
My problem started with a sizzling skillet filled with a Chicago favorite: Shrimp de Jonghe.
That's a problem? Yes, there's nothing small about this food issue, except for the crustacean's size.
Here's my not-so-little story.
I didn't always love shrimp. Nope. When growing up, the only ocean-born seafood we had at our house was tuna. Mom made an excellent mayonnaise-rich tuna salad with all the usual ingredients; plus diced red delicious apples.
My Mom's Mom, Nana, made what I still believe was the best tuna casserole; enriched with sour cream and topped with the classic, Jay's potato chips.
No Mauer made shrimp salad or shrimp casserole.
Shrimp slowly began to appeal to me in my late teens when I discovered chilled shrimp slathered in spicy cocktail sauce. At the beginning, it was all about the sauce; the more zip, the better. Shrimp served as sauce transportation.
As the years went by shrimp increased its appeal. My like turned to love when I first tasted a classic Chicago specialty: Shrimp de Jonghe. It's almost impossible to go wrong with real butter, fresh garlic and good wine. The breadcrumb's crunch and garlic and butter's aroma sent my taste buds into orbit.
That's why, today, I find what's happened and happening to shrimp to be downright ugly.
Consumer Reports dropped the penalty flag on shrimp, and I've been mulling over what it means and what I can do about it.
The short version. CR bought a boatload of shrimp; 342 samples, both raw and cooked. CR netted those samples from “large chain” supermarkets, big box stores and “natural” food stores in 27 cities across the US. Then they tested that shrimp for a variety of bacteria and antibiotic residues.
What CR discovered is unsettling. They found one or more types of bacteria on 60-percent of the raw shrimp samples; bacteria that has the potential to make us sick.
In 11 samples of raw, imported, farmed shrimp CR also found “illegal antibiotic residues.” They noted that the FDA has not approved the use of any antibiotics in shrimp farming. CR stated that the FDA told them that if those drugs had been detected in even one sample they would have refused the entire shipment entry in the US.
This highlights a potential issue about underfunding FDA inspections. Without sufficient staff and testing, antibiotic contaminated shipments can and do slip through to our markets and ultimately to our dinner table.
CR recommended heading to seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/groups/shrimp to check-out its “best choice” and “good alternative” lists. Each item listed can be “clicked” on to find more information. Then, scroll down to the bottom for shrimp types to “avoid.”
When it comes to “wild caught” shrimp CR suggests heading over to msc.org (Marine Stewardship Council) to locate certifiably sustainable seafood. If you skim over there and get your line wet, you'll leave knowing way more about shrimp.
Even though farmed shrimp is less expensive, CR suggests that you're less likely to run into bacteria and chemical issues if you purchase ocean-caught wild shrimp. They also suggest being wary of shrimp labeled “organic,” since no organic standards currently exist for shrimp.
I'm not going to stop eating shrimp. No. I'm simply going to follow a much healthier path and follow all CR's recommendations so that I get healthy, safe, sustainable shrimp.
Darn that Shrimp de Jonghe.
Shrimp scampi may have been the shrimp dish on which Chicago's Shrimp de Jonghe was based, because shrimp scampi can include just about anything from bread crumbs to pasta.
I believe the best shrimp scampi has few ingredients and lets the shrimp and garlic flavors shine through, with the heat of some crushed red pepper. Try mine and let me know what you think.
• Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write to him at don@ theleanwizard.com.