After a trip to the Nasugbu market, coolers bursting with fresh seafood, I got back to the kitchen spoiled for choice… should we cook the crab since it is still alive?… and should we have the twitching prawns as well?… and what about the fish? I usually don’t have time or can’t be bothered to look up recipes, so we enjoy the food as simply as we can, or with tried and tested recipes that we know by heart. We decided to have all of the items in some form or another… :)
I reached into the cupboard and to a dish aded some Kikkoman soy sauce, water, chopped bird’s eye chillies, minced ginger (lots of it), minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. I then reached into the fridge for some limes (none), lemons (none!) or kalamansi, EGADS, NONE of that either!?! Yipes, how could we not have any citrus in the house? So I put a splash of apple cider vinegar instead and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Stir this all up and add the shrimp about 20 minutes before grilling.
I had some of the same chiles in another pot of chili crab, and noticed they seemed to lack oomph, so I added 6-8 pcs into this marinade, thinking they would be quite tame. But surprise, surprise, these were wickedly spicy… lip stinging spicy. :)
Skewer the marinated shrimp so they stay straight (easier to baste and cook) and baste them with the marinade just before placing on a hot charcoal grill, several inches ABOVE the coals so they don’t burn.
Baste the shrimp one more time while on the grill. Once cooked (just a couple of minutes on each side) bring to the table hot. If you had limes, lemons or kalamansi, serve those on the side. These were wonderful! Crisp shells, just enough soy for saltiness, but an incredible spicy hit as well. The ginger and garlic were also clearly present, but not overwhelming. The sugar just helped to provide that hint of sweetness, the gloss on the shells and the slight caramelization. So easy, and so satisfying. And at PHP280 a kilo or ($3 a pound), good for 4-6 people, very reasonably priced. :)
11 Responses
Oh….save the shells,MM….turn them into prawn oil! No need to roast them in the oven anymore! I just made 10 bottles of lobster oil from frozen shells my nephew saved for me…I have a much improved version of it, MP and Millet…no need to add saffron or anything at all. But with the the prawn shells, MM….it will still turn out excellent but maybe a bit maputla!
wanting to do that right now…for breakfast!
i’m salivating already just looking at those pics above!
Sarap!! with white rice + ice cold coke = Heaven! BTW, spotted your Zubuchon red pig logo in Rajo Laurels blog.
Terrific photos MM. They look so appetizing, especially that first image.
We have a place very near Nasugbu market as well, so we make a trip there every time we’re in Batangas. I’ve only seen curacha there once, and I knew I should have bought some then, because I never saw them again. :( They’ve become a minor obsession of mine since then.
I’m salivating!!!
Oh BettyQ! there you are, been wondering…thought you might be on a trekking trip to
Antarctica…. or more appropriately ( per Footloose) foraging wild mushrooms somewhere in the Canadian wilderness …..actually worried about you too since the phone kept ringing and nobody picked up…just the other day!
Sorry but thanks MM for this piggyback ride on your blog.
As for the shrimps which we can’t have much of because of hubby’s gouty arthritis, I just stick them in the oven in an iron skillet New Orleans style with some of the ingredients you have, some butter, chili powder, rosemary and lots of garlic and parsley and end up with plenty of super yummy sauce you can sop up with crusty garlic bread. No need to clean skewers and barbecue grill when one does not have an assistant or crew in the kitchen, but then you miss the crunch of the toasted shrimp shells.
My fave! We just had sautee’d shrimps the other day with lots of garlic and scotch bonnet pepper, but i cheat, i like my sauce reddish/orangey” so i use atchuete oil as well :) I will try this grilled shrimps next time.
Betty Q – we miss you! :) I should try that shrimp oil and lobster oil using the shells, hhmmm..
Connie C – my husband has a gout too, but he doesn’t slow down whenever i cook the spicy shrimps, hehhe matigas ulo!
it’s usually ‘halabos’ for us re swaje, prawns, crabs … but i’m very interested with the marinade above to be used for dipping — that looks like the kind of dip one would drip over steamed rice … :)
DhayL…this is my improved version of lobster oil recipe I posted a few years ago…lobster shells have to be cooked ….after eating the meat, rinse the shells. The lobster head, separate the talukap? Remove the green tamale, save it for another day…remove the lungs, rinse very wll the talukap, and the part with the legs. Drain very well in colander. Pat dry with paper towel. I made this with the shells from 5 whole lobsters…put the shells on heavy cookie sheet. Cut into big chunks about 3 medium carrot, 2celery rib, 1 onion. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast in 400 degree oven until fragrant and dry…no liquid remaining on bottom of cookie sheet. Then transfer entire contents in big caldero. Add I head garlic cut in half, add in some peppercorns nd seaonwith salt. Pour in about 2 lts. Canola oil to start adding more later if you need to. Then turn on heat and let mixture come to a boil. WHen the oil is bubbling, turn down the heat a bit. It should still be bubbling but not too much. Every now and thn, stir it so the bottom doesn’t get sunog. You can smell it when it is ready. The oil will turn orange if you are using lobster shells. This will take bout 2 hours. Then turn off heat nd lt it cool. As it sits and cools down, it will become more orange-y. Then strain and pour into nice condiment bottles.
Now, the solids… Shells and aromatics, put back in the pot to and crush them. Add enough water to cover the crushed roasted shells, season nd let it come to a boil nd simmer for about 2 hours. Then let it cool and drain the liquid…BEST EVER LOBSTER STOCK FOR LOBSTER BISQUE,!!! Finishing oil for your bisque?…drizzle with the lobster oil.
If you using the shells like MM roasted chili prawns up above, skip the roasting part in the oven. Finished oil will,still taste like prawn oil but very maputla. If you wnt color, add astuete powder when you add the oil in the caldero. Go easy on the atsuete…you cn add more later.
Gardening all done, BettyQ! You’re back!!
There would be no shells left, since I’ll eat the whole thing!