Okay, maybe I'm not quite at "I love Texas" yet, but I definitely love shrimp. Definitely. So yesterday when I was at Central Market and there was a big sign saying "Sale! Peel and Eat Shrimp! $7.99/pound!" I did a little dance up to the fish counter. "Hey, dude, which shrimp is the sale shrimp?"
"Um....this one." The Fish Dude points to some grey, uncooked shrimp. Darn.
"Oh. How much is the cooked shrimp?"
"$13.99 a pound."
"Oh." I think for a minute about not having a job. "So, this raw shrimp, I just steam it or something?"
Fish Dude comes close to the counter. From there he looks me up and down: my fuzzy ponytail, my "Reading is Sexy" t-shirt, my cart full of cocktail sauce and lemons. I try to look like I know how to cook shrimp and was just fooling. He doesn't buy it.
Fish Dude sighs and looks around. There's no one else at the counter to commiserate with him. I think woefully about my cocktail sauce and shrimp dreams, so bright a moment ago. He sighs again and puts his hands on the counter. "I can steam it for you."
"Really?" I'm shocked.
"Really. Give me 15 minutes."
"Yay! Thanks! I'm so...." He's turned his back and is chopping a large fish to bits.
But 15 minutes later, when I pick up my cooked-but-still-cheap shrimp, he gives me a wink. Texans are SO NICE, man.
Le Sigh.
ReplyDeleteTake a large skillet and heat a little olive oil in it over medium heat. In a bowl, sprinkle salt and pepper over the raw shrimp and toss them around. Put them in a single layer in the hot skillet and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes. They should look pink all the way through and closed up like Cs (but not Os) when they are cooked and done.
I think it was the "reading is sexy" shirt.
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ReplyDeleteI can't type on three hours of sleep... anyway...
ReplyDeleteYou will find yourself doing nice things for complete strangers before long - it will feel unnatural at first, but Texas always wins over... soon everyone will be your "best" friends. :) lol
listen to what B wrote. it is so beyond easy to cook shrimp, lady :) you are too cute
ReplyDeletei would recommend other ways to cook shrimp but i don't want to complicate things. :o) (old bay!) nom nom nom. now i want shrimp!
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