Gulf Shores Shrimp Festival

Boiled Shrimp:

Don't over cook them. Place a packet of shrimp/crab boil seasoning, a chunk of squeezed lemon and some salt (unless cooking royal reds-don't salt the cooking water) in a big pot. Bring to a boil. Dump in the shrimp. As soon as the water returns to a boil, pour out the water and shrimp into a colander to stop the cooking.

If you are cooking shrimp of mixed sizes, use a slotted spoon to remove the smaller ones as soon as they begin to curl. Work quickly.

Shrimp Cocktail Sauce:

• Good quality ketchup
• Some Heinz bottled Chili Sauce or a bit of dried chili powder
• Some fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Black pepper
• Dash of real Lee & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce (not a cheap store brand)
• All the plain grated horseradish you can stand (not the creamed horseradish sauce with a mayonnaise or oil base)
• All the Tabasco or Crystal Hot Sauce you can stand

Peeled, cleaned fresh Gulf Shrimp--
as many as you want.

Bottled Thai sauce called: "Sweet Chili Sauce for Chicken" available at Oriental Grocery stores. Many brands available. We recommend "Lee Brand" --under $2 for a big a bottle. Not very hot, but spicy, garlicky and sorta sweet and sour. It is thick and a pretty orange color with red pepper flakes.

Pat shrimp dry on paper towels. Put the shrimp into a zip-lock bag with enough of the Thai sauce to cover all of them about 30 min ahead while you make the fire.

Remove shrimp and slide them onto 2 side by side thin bamboo skewers about 1/2 in apart (available at any supermarket). Pour remaining sauce from the bag onto shrimp after you put them on the grill.

These shrimp can also be cooked under the broiler with the same sauce for a very good meal---but try to cook them over a BBQ fire if you can.

Either way, a low carb meal.

Soak thin bamboo skewers in water and using two skewers about 1/2 inch apart, make a shrimp-ka-bob of just shrimp and cook quickly over a hot real charcoal fire. By using two skewers, you can flip the shrimp without them twisting around on the bamboo stick. Do not over cook, if you are also cooking veggies, they take longer, that is why it is best to do the shrimp by themselves, so you can cook only until they curl and turn opaque. Serve with grilled zucchini, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, pineapple, that you toss in Italian dressing and also cook on the charcoal fire.

• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 2 cups thin sliced red onions
• 2 cups thin sliced white onions
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 8 tomatoes cut into thin wedges
• salt & pepper

• 2 pounds raw cleaned shrimp
• 2 cups tomatoe juice
• 1/2 cup chopped spring onions
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. In a stockpot, warm the oil over medium high heat.
2. Add garlic & onions. Sauté for 5 min.
3. Stir in peppers, tomatoes, salt & pepper & shrimp.
4. Cook, tossing for 5 min.
5. Add tomato juice and spring onions and bring to simmer.
6. Stir in parsley & cilantro, cook for one min. Serve hot.

Boil big pot of water to which you have added a bag of Shrimp Boil and a halved, squeezed lemon & salt. After the water is boiling, drop in shrimp and cook only until they curl. Cool 'em off.

Make Remoulade Sauce ahead of time in food processor or blender.
Chill until needed, keeps a long time.

Remoulade Sauce:

• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 medium onion
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 1/2 cup horseradish
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs anchovy paste
  (found in a squeeze-tube)

• 2 Tbs drained capers
• big handful of washed parsley
• 1or 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 Tbs of either mustard OR ketchup--your choice

Blend or process it all together. Makes about a quart. Chill and serve with boiled shrimp.

Marinade & Shrimp:

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• grated zest of 1 orange
• grated zest of 1 lime
• 1 Tbs minced fresh basil or ½ Tbs dried
• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme or ½ Tbs dried
• 1 tsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 Lb cleaned, shelled shrimp

Vegetables:

• 1 Tbs veg oil
• 3 cups: zucchini, artichoke hearts,
  red bell pepper, all cut into small strips
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper to taste

Citrus Sauce:

• 1 Tbs orange juice
• 1 Tbs grapefruit juice
• 1 Tbs lime juice
• 2 Tbs honey
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard

Mix marinade add shrimp for 3 hours. Heat oil in pan for vegetables, add veggies and garlic, saute for 4 minutes, stirring. Add salt & pepper. Add balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute more. Remove shrimp from marinade and grill or broil 2 minutes each side. Pile veggies on plate, add shrimp on top and drizzle citrus sauce.

Shrimp:

• 1 lb. shrimp in shells,
  clean and save the shells
• ½ Tbs vegetable oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion minced
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 cup celery
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• ½ cup white wine

Vegetables:

• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 3 cups cooked rice
• Parsley sprigs minced

Shell and clean shrimp, save shells. In large pan over med heat, warm the oil. Put shrimp shells in pan and stir 1 minute. Add everything in the first list except shrimp. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. Strain the stock and discard all the solids. Pour the stock back into the pan and add the potatoes and carrots, cook over low heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 1 or 2 minutes more till shrimp turn pink. Do not over cook the shrimp. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with minced fresh parsley if desired.

Make dipping sauce: combine marmalade, mustard, honey,
and hot sauce in a small bowl. Mix well and serve side by side.

Combine apricot preserves, both vinegars, paprika and Tabasco in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring several times. Heat until thoroughly blended. Serve warm with coconut shrimp.