In all of my growing-up years in Dallas, Texas, I may have been served two shrimp cocktails, with a maximum of six small shrimp in each. So far inland, my family rarely ate seafood unless we made our biannual visit to Jay’s Marine Grill. What a treat.
When my husband and I met, his dad was a commercial shrimper who had moved his boats from Brunswick, Georgia to Port Isabel, Texas. On my first visit to meet his family, I was introduced to shrimp as he knew it. Six shrimp?…Please….! We had shrimp with or without another seafood at each meal and we came home to Dallas with a five-pound box of frozen shrimp. He had to teach me how to prepare and cook this delicacy.
His folks, even 500 miles away, kept us well supplied in shrimp, and we served it whenever we had a dinner party. Our Texas friends today include our fried shrimp dinners, especially on New Year’s Eve, as one of our collective memories.
Of course, my husband grew up working on a shrimp boat. When it was his time to command the helm, he would boil a batch of shrimp, then eat them like popcorn.
When we moved to Georgia, I was introduced to shrimp boils. Peeling and eating hot shrimp was truly a new discovery for my palate. It may still be my favorite way to eat shrimp.
Of course, having lived far longer in Georgia than Texas, I am a fan of “Wild Caught Georgia Shrimp.” In fact, I won’t choose a shrimp dish from any restaurant’s menu within the state unless it is so labeled. Likewise, if we’re traveling along coastal waters, we look for wild caught shrimp from those particular states, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, the Carolinas.
Since we’ve moved to McIntosh County, where shrimping is the number one industry, we’ve become even more aware of the precarious situation that shrimpers face. Competition with cheap, imported shrimp has driven a number of shrimp fishermen out of business.
According to its website, “Wild Georgia Shrimp are guaranteed to be a species indigenous to the clean coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, caught by local shrimp fishermen and landed at a certified facility in Georgia….Wild Georgia Shrimp are processes only in the state of Georgia and distributed quickly after processing.”
If you haven’t attended a Blessing of the Fleet in the spring in Darien, you have missed a blessing for yourself. The three-day event in the spring culminates on Sunday with a parade of decorated shrimp boats being blessed by a priest standing on the U. S. Highway 17 bridge. “Lord of all creation, present with us today/ we gather to bless these boats and all those who sail in them./ Protect us always and bring them safely home./ We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Shrimping season is once again under way; and from our back porch, we watch each day a number of shrimp boats traverse Sapelo River as they head out to the ocean and later return home. In either direction, each boat poses one beautiful site. Going out, the outriggers reach heavenward. Coming in, they are outstretched to clean the nets.
Either way, the unique structure of the shrimp boat creates a recognizable image against the blue of water and sky. We, too, pray that each has a good, safe day.
Today, my favorite shrimp recipe is one a reader shared with The P-S “Cookery Corner” years ago. It’s based on a dish that the old St. Simons restaurant, Emmeline and Hessie’s, once served.
Shrimp and Noodles
1/2 of 8 oz. pkg. wide noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 lb. or more of peeled and boiled shrimp
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup dairy sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon style mustard (I use mustard + horse radish)
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
4 Tablespoons white cooking wine
grated cheddar and mozzarella cheeses
Spray casserole dish with Pam and line with cooked noodles. Cover with shrimp. (Cut into bite size if large shrimp)Combine soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, mustard and wine. Cover shrimp with mixture. Top with grated cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and casserole is bubbly.
2019
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