A Distraction about Smoked Shrimp
Written on June 24, 2008 by KIOSK
One of my favorite things in the world is smoked shrimp, have you eaten this? Sounds a bit odd no? We were in Sweden recently for a wedding and I was able to pick some up. Although I eat less and less things from the sea I had to make an allowance and go for it. I wonder where you can find smoked shrimp in this country? Odd I have not seen them in the states. I have the smoker from Finland and I wonder what the process is, could I do it myself when visiting my father at the Cape? The thing is they are smokey and a bit oily, also, Swedish (Scandinavian) shrimp is really another thing than what we have here. Often from the North Sea, they are not at all chewy and good ones have quite a bit of a salty taste (the smoked ones loose the salt taste and have a deep smokey flavor), often delivered in the shell, the roe can be with the shrimp, I found this a bit odd at first. Smoked shrimp are full of flavor, you get the shrimp taste and a smokey smell and taste at the same moment. By smokey of course I mean the smokey like smoked fish, not a cigarette. We most often eat them with a saffron aioli and some Knäkebröd and butter, the best way is to eat them in the park or at home; they really know how to prepare seafood in Sweden. I have yet to see smoked shrimp outside of Scandinavia. Perhaps you can find them on the West Coast of the US? If anyone knows, please drop a note. Otherwise be sure to try some if you are in Scandinavia. Some days I think it would be great to have a smoke house, although it must be hard to get the smell out of your hair. But picture a smoke house by the sea and jumping in the cold water at the end of the day. I’d definitely have smoked tofu and other vegetarian options as well as fish and shrimp…Yum, gotta go make breakfast…
Size! You forgot to mention that those shrimps are pretty shrimpy: much smaller than americanos, which I think has an impact on how much more they taste. Shrimps in us are big, watered down and just kind of tastefree. Go small, america! Less is more than 10!
June 24, 2008 @ 11:10 am
I also love swedish smoked shrimp, and have been trying to find them in Vancouver since I came back from Stockholm last June. I’ve gone as far as taking a part time job with a small seafood company to see if I can convince them to smoke shrimp. Our side stripe shrimp from the North Pacific are pretty close to the ones found in Sweden, now all I need is a recipe! I imagine the shrimp are brined or marinated first.
July 19, 2008 @ 5:31 pm
U.S. style smoked shrimp.
Build a smoker, you don’t need a house.
Brine the shrimp around 20 minutes. You can add lemon or soy sauce to the brine if you like.
Cold smoke to taste. Around an hour.
Turn up the heat to 250 till cooked around 20 minutes.
I start with 5 lbs of shrimp shell them and end up with 2 lbs after all the taste testing.
Oh it helps to be a red neck
and I tried smoking tofu I found it tasted best fried in pork fat then smoked.
Bon appetite
July 23, 2008 @ 6:44 pm
We had a fish smoker for sale on the site:) Anyway, I’d love to try that recipe. We are in the city though so I wonder what will happen if I fire up a smoker on the roof of the house we are living in…
July 24, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
Not very long ago, I had smoked Maine shrimp prepared by Browne Trading in Portland (ME — there are two, for those on the west coast). Maine shrimp are also different from Gulf shrimp in that they are smaller and sweeter — the meat is more tender and they do seem to taste more of the sea. Bought fresh locally, it’s the whole fish — head,roe, and not usually cleaned. The fishing season is very short and I don’t know that they’re available elsewhere, at least readily. However, Browne Trading imports and sells everywhere. If anyone were to have an interest, it may be worth an inquiry. They were so good that I think anyone who has enjoyed the Scandinavian product would find it an interesting try. Again, I don’t know the general availability and my experience was between December and February — which I think may be about the timing of the annual fishery .
My other comment is that I have a Burton stovetop smoker to make Memphis style ribs and jerked chicken at home. Not only is it good for these purposes, as well as for heavenly smoked tomato soup — but it also, quickly, efficiently and delightfully smokes shrimp — and other fish. I smoked the larger gulf shrimp as an accompaniment to a summer gazpacho — and honestly, no smoke, no smell and a decent result. The unit is remarkably self-contained and even with limited ventilation, there have never been any problems. I would say that the choice of smoking wood chips is probably key to a personal ideal result — for me, hickory would not be my choice for my next fish attempt.
Oh — and the unit is inexpensive and versatile. I don’t own stock. I happened upon a mention of it in a cookbook many years ago and rethought the idea of smoking indoors after a patrticularly snowy winter. Smoking outdoors — really smokey and off-putting to neighbors.
August 1, 2008 @ 6:16 pm
Let me recommend the smoked shrimp at Cocoon’s in Seagrove Beach, Florida. When asked over the counter what the shrimp should be served with proprietor Mike LaDow answered “Shrimp! Just shrimp!” They are smoked in the shells and delicious chilled. The small food-to-go shop also offers a fabulous smoked tuna dip.
August 19, 2008 @ 3:31 pm