A RECIPE FOR DRIED SHRIMP
Dried shrimp sounds more like fish food to many Americans than anything they would want to eat. But it appears that we are the minority.
Shrimp that has been sun-dried, smoked and dried, or otherwise desiccated, is a common food in many of the world's hotter regions. They are widely used in Southeast Asian cuisine, as well as that of China, India, Mexico (where they are a fundamental component of the little meatballs known as emeritus that are eaten with seepweed during the Christmas season), Brazil, and West Africa.
Surprisingly, if you know where to look, you can even get dried shrimp in convenience stores in Louisiana.
I learned about dried shrimp in West Africa. Some of you might remember that I formerly studied anything African (I had a master's degree in African history) and visited the continent in the 1990s.
Outside of coastal Kenya, I didn't see many dried shrimp, but when I arrived back, I met some Senegalese men who said that they were their secret ingredient. A tiny amount of ground-up ingredients gives a salty umami punch. A lot of it makes things suspicious.
They always had smoked, medium-sized dried shrimp. I enjoyed the combination of smoke and salt. Similar to putting a ham hock in greens or beans, but with seafood.
The majority of cultures like little, sun-dried dried shrimp, according to my research. So you may skip the smoking phase if you'd like.
Why even create dried shrimp? Why not purchase them? After all, my neighborhood Mexican deli has a big jar of them out on the counter. To be honest, it was a joyful accident.
I had returned from Alabama with a big freezer bag of shrimp that I had collected with my buddy Joe Baya, the publisher of the publication Great Days Outdoors.
You must consume shrimp once they have defrosted. As a result, I cooked some gumbo, Low Country person, and pickled shrimp. Only a few shrimp were left after that.
In addition, I had recently captured a large number of trout in the foothills of the Sierra, which I intended to smoke. Over my head, a lightbulb flashes out, "I know!" Don't forget to bring the shrimp!
So they entered the smoker. Although I had intended to eat the shrimp raw, the shells completely adhered to the shrimp. Rats.
However, I recalled that dried shrimp are typically served with the shell on, so I chose to just dry them out and utilize them like my old Senegalese friends did. They turned out fantastic.
How are dried shrimp used?
I've heard a few Cajuns say it's their secret ingredient in gumbo; typically, they would be either reconstituted and put in a stew or ground up and used as a condiment.
They are frequently chopped up and used in recipes like thieboudienne, which is considered to be the national food of Senegal. I make my own version of Ghanaian palaver sauce with the ground, dried shrimp.
Using dried shrimp in Mexican Caldo de camaron is a fantastic idea. Thai curries frequently use dried shrimp, while Chinese XO sauce also contains dried shrimp. They are stir-fried by Koreans.
However, if you choose, you are free to simply relax and enjoy your dried shrimp. The shrimp taste much like shrimpy, smokey potato chips, and the shells are not at all concerning.
Any shrimp can do, however, little shrimp are preferred in most dried shrimp traditions: It's an excellent usage for the kids because you can utilize their shell and all.
They can last for years in a cold, dark spot after being completely dried. To keep things extra dry, I store them in Mason jars with an additional silica pack. Online silica packets are available, or you may scavenge them from other packages that have already used them.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of shell-on shrimp
- 1/fourth cup kosher salt
Instructions
To dissolve the salt, combine it with a quart of water. The shrimp should be submerged in this brine for at least 4 hours; overnight is preferable.
Put the shrimp in your smoker in a single layer if you wish to smoke them. For two hours, smoke over the wood of your choice (I like alder or oak). Maintain a smoker temperature of around 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
Your shrimp should now be dried. If you reside in a hot, dry climate, you can dry them in the sun. or use the lowest setting of an oven. My dehydrator is used.
I start it at 135 degrees, then decrease it to approximately 110 after an hour or two. When the shrimp split neatly in two, they are fully cooked.
Place them in a glass jar after allowing them to cool to room temperature. In order to prevent any unwelcome moisture from accumulating, I use a silica pack desiccant. This should continue for a whole year.
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