Shrimp season starts in September and goes roughly until April. The rule of thumb is that the shrimp is fresh in the months that have an “R” in them. You can still purchase shrimp in the summer months, it’s just frozen stock from the season.
We buy our shrimp at Jessy’s Shrimp Market, on the left just before entering the Old Port area. Ask them to clean and de-vein the shrimp and put them on ice for the ride home. The price of shrimp runs around $300 pesos per kilo (about $15 for 2 lbs). The jumbo shrimp are the most expensive, but we love them because they taste like lobster when sautéed in butter! However, if you are chopping them up for a recipe, you can stick with the medium size for great flavor.
Here is our absolute favorite shrimp taco recipe that we make as often as we can. It’s really basic, really fast, and totally delicious! It’s so easy, I’m not sure it qualifies as a “recipe”, but here goes:
Shrimp
Asparagus (shrimp season is also asparagus season, so take advantage)
Tortillas
Butter and/or Olive oil
Garlic, fresh or powder
Clean the shrimp under cold running water to make sure all the shells are removed and all are de-veined. Throw them in a skillet with butter and garlic and cook until done (as soon as they turn pink).
In another pot, boil the asparagus to your desired tenderness, we like ours al dente.
Warm the tortillas, put them on a plate, top with shrimp and asparagus and enjoy!
Here is another Fall Favorite shrimp recipe, that would be a great starter for Thanksgiving dinner:
Cajun Pumpkin soup with shrimp … modified from thehungrybelgian.com and marthastewart.com … I’m a big recipe combiner… I really don’t like anything with too many ingredients, or things I don’t have on hand, or really anything that takes more that 30 minutes.
1lb shrimp
6 cups chicken broth
2 – 15 oz. cans of pumpkin
1 cup white wine
1.5 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
1 onion diced
3 celery sticks chopped
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning, plus a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Sauté chopped onion and celery in a large soup pot. Splash in some wine, the broth and pumpkin and bring to a boil, then simmer. While the soup is cooking, sauté the mushrooms in a small pot. Cook the shrimp in a skillet with olive oil and Cajun seasoning. Blend the soup so it’s smooth, and stir in the half-and-half; then add the shrimp and mushrooms; season with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning to taste. (Note, after a long day at the beach and pool, I didn’t take the extra time to blend, it was still delicious, just not so pretty to photograph!)
Another hearty fall dish is Spicy Creamy Shrimp Pasta
(Recipe modified from juliasalbum.com)
1lb. shrimp
Cajun Seasoning
Crushed red pepper
1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 cans diced tomato
¼ cup chicken broth
½ cup half-and-half
8 oz penne pasta
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil, add tomatoes and chicken broth, season with salt, Cajun seasoning, and red pepper; simmer 10-15 minutes; cook pasta while the sauce is simmering. Cook the shrimp in a skillet with olive oil and sprinkle with Cajun spice and crushed red pepper. Once pasta is done, mix the half-and-half into the red sauce and remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Combine pasta, cream sauce, and shrimp; serve immediately.
Happy Thanksgiving or in Rocky Point, Día de Pavo! Provecho!
