Fresh shrimp for boiling?

I know a lot of folks have talked about Mitsuwa for fresh fish. What about fresh shrimp? Do they offer it? And, if so, is it any fresher/better than what one would get at Whole Paycheck? I've also heard good things about Food Harbor in Addison. Given I live in Wheaton that would be a shorter drive. Thanks for any suggestions!

It was my understanding that almost all shrimp available in these parts are frozen. The ones that are in seafood cases at markets are usually defrosted. So you may as well just buy frozen shrimp & defrost when you need them.

Shrimp deteriorate very quicky. Your best bet is to by frozen and thaw yourself. It's my understanding that most commercially available shrimp are frozen immediately after the catch. The only time I remember getting fresh shrimp was off of the boats in Galveston harbor when I was a kid.

Flip

Even the high quality shrimp you get at Dirk's are all previously frozen.

The family of a good friend growing up in Tampa owned a large shrimp wholesale company (since sold to a giant Japanese outfit). He was always adamant that you'd have to be crazy to eat shrimp that was more than a few hours old before it was cooked or frozen, and I think he's right. I also shared many beers and stories with shrimp boat captains in Tampa at the Hub. They were always complaining about having to clean and freeze the shrimp on board. "Fresh Shrimp" does not seem to exist in the real world. I'm not saying that Charlie Trotter doesn't have a day boat shrimp source that flies them in each morning, but if you think the broke-down critters in the semi-refrigerated tub on Argyle are fresh, well, welcome to the big city.

An interesting side note: this guy also advised that many variations exist among "frozen freshness" within the industry, both on the front and back ends. You generally want boat-frozen and not dock-frozen shrimp. You also don't want the shrimp off a cheap Vegas buffet -- that is the single, final destination for backstock frozen shrimp, which the wholesalers ship to Vegas at the absolute latest time before the USDA regs force them to destroy it.

Now, everywhere in FL at the docks and fishing piers, bait shops/beer sources to the underaged, seem to have no problem keeping hundreds of shrimp alive in claptrap "aquariums." Shrimp aren't indestructible like blue crabs and clams, but I have often wondered whether a big city such as Chicago could not sustain some aquaculture like this in the name of fresh shrimp.

Anyway, best shrimp I have had in a long while were, in order, Wild Key West Pinks, from Whole Foods, and Gulf Rock shrimp from Dirk's. The difference, to my mind, between wild and farmed crustaceans is a deal-breaker. The farmed SE Asian stuff just sucks. And it's not just my home town bias; I readily admit that the shrimp in Liguria and the Cote d'Azur make Gulf shrimp taste like carp.

The guys running the seafood counter at WF on Ashland are from MD and know their stuff, even if they do label rockfish "Pacific Snapper," a non-entity. I otherwise do not like most of what WF has to offer, or not offer (ok, the cheese is pretty good).

It doesn't get any fresher than live. Most of the Chinatown markets in town sell live shrimp in their seafood dept. ~$18/lb or less I think. I don't know about eating them raw for sushi, h/w they would be perfect for a quick boil. Many Chinese enjoy live shrimp boiled and served hot as an appetizer dipped in soy, scallion, ginger and chili oil.

"Most of the Chinatown markets in town sell live shrimp"

Wow, I've never seen or heard that, but I don't often hit the Chinatown markets. Can you please give me some specifics? Your favorite place, the origin of the shrimp, eg. I'm excited.

I second JeffB's excitement.

I spend a lot of time in China, and the shrimp here is a pale shadow of what I have even at mediocre establishments there. I'm convinced that it's because they're all swimming around in tanks out front ten minutes before they hit my plate, though I've been unable to locate them live Stateside for the sake of establishing a control.

I'd be equally thrilled to find a place that'll sell them live. Do tell!

I've never purchased them live myself; Only eaten them in the fashion I previously mentioned at various Chinese restaurants that had them live in tanks. Two markets I have seen them in:

Chinatown Market
2121 S Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60616

The other one is a Chinese grocery (name escapes me) at the very end of the new Chinatown section at South China Place (it's close to AjiIchiban).

I could've sworn I've seen live monkfish, rockfish and gobies in styrofoam coolers or plastic tubs on occasion at the markets from time to time. As far as live seafood goes, regular items on hand include: soft-shell turtles, dungeness crabs, abalone, bass, tilapia, frogs, lobsters, shrimp, catfish and blue crabs.

Jay K wrote:The other one is a Chinese grocery (name escapes me) at the very end of the new Chinatown section at South China Place (it's close to AjiIchiban)

Mayflower Foods
2140 S Archer
Chicago, IL
312-326-7450

HI,

I was in Chinatown Market today and didn't see live shrimp. I saw shrimp with heads slightly defrosted in a pool of liquid. I also saw some Giant Clams, which looked absolutely obscene!

One or two years ago, there was another poster who also claimed to have seen live shrimp. Everyone followed up going to the places in question to find none.

I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one!

Regards,

I can back up the live shrimp story. Among other sightings, the last time I was in Chinatown Market (December 23rd) they had a tank full of live shrimp. Also last time I was in Mayflower Foods, but that was probably a year ago. I think it would take a mandarin speaker to get an answer as to where the shrimp come from, how long they'd been in the tank, etc.

As a personal favor to someone who does not go shopping in Chinatown nearly as often as I'd like, I humbly ask the regulars there to post live shrimp alerts henceforth. Thanks in advance.

JeffB wrote:As a personal favor to someone who does not go shopping in Chinatown nearly as often as I'd like, I humbly ask the regulars there to post live shrimp alerts henceforth. Thanks in advance.

I visit 2-3 Chinatown markets on a semimonthly basis. With the exception of one time, several years ago, I have never seen live shrimp for sale.

But, by the sounds of it, I haven't paid close enough attention.

E.M.

Erik M. wrote:With the exception of one time, several years ago, I have never seen live shrimp for sale.

But, by the sounds of it, I haven't paid close enough attention.

E.M.

OK, we *are* talking about crustaceans, about twelve inches long, with claws and eight legs, right? Turn red when you cook 'em?

kl5 wrote:OK, we *are* talking about crustaceans, about twelve inches long, with claws and eight legs, right? Turn red when you cook 'em?

No more curry puffs for you!!

E.M.

Cathy2 wrote:I also saw some Giant Clams, which looked absolutely obscene!

http://www.cses.washington.edu/cig/figu ... to_BIG.jpg

I'm assuming you're talking about geoducks or mirugai (in Japanese) - these long nosed clams? Chinese like to eat them thinly sliced and flash fried in a hot wok - the texture if cooked just right is absolutely fabulous. The Japanese like to eat it thinly sliced and raw - you can find it at Tensuke in Arlington Heights on ocassion. To my knowledge you only eat "the nose."

http://lib1.store.yahoo.co.jp/lib/fugu/ ... miHasi.jpg

Interestingly enough from what I've learned re: geoducks, they seem to be indigenous only to the waters around Seattle. If anyone knows otherwise, please enlighten... so that leads to my question of how it became a Chinese and Japanese delicacy...

Shed some light, GWiv?

Re: Live Shrimp

Mayflower Foods usually holds their live shrimp in the far right tank closest to the freezers. Chinatown market keeps theirs in a small tank about chest level in between their fish display and meat display. I'll be glad to send a quick update if I ever see 'em again.

Update: I don't know how to resize a linked picture, so I'll just post the link to it. (Not very HTML savvy).

Hey Jay K, could you resize your pics to a maximum of 600 pixels wide? That's our preferred size because anything else messes up the line length of all the text in a thread where there's an oversize image. Thanks.

JeffB wrote:He was always adamant that you'd have to be crazy to eat shrimp that was more than a few hours old before it was cooked or frozen, and I think he's right.

I was going to jump on this comment by JeffB a while back, but I did not. I am not being critical of JeffB's very enlightening post, but I think there is an important third category of shrimp not mentioned along with pre-cooked or frozen.

The third category are shrimp that are held at ice water temperature, 32F./0C. This is how you will buy most of the fresh shrimp available along the coast/gulf...or at least that is how I have found them. The shrimp are floating in water and the ice is held back by a screen so that chunks of ice do not mix in with the shrimp while being drained and weighed. This report by the Florida Department of Conservation explains the need to hold shrimp at almost freezing temperatures (34/F) to avoid black spot.

These near frozen shrimp have a much preferred texture to flash frozen shrimp, and is probably what most people along the coast consider "fresh" shrimp. I have had fresh shrimp on several occasions while visiting friends along the coast/gulf. I am assuming that to transport shrimp just cold enough to avoid black spot, yet not so cold to cause the textural changes of flash frozen is what is cost/logistics prohibitive.

I do believe the one time I had "fresh" shrimp in Chicago, they were served by Susan Spicer at the Katrina Victims Benefit as I reported here. Perhpas she had them flown in, perhaps she could not bear to serve anything she would not have served in her own restaurant or was concerned that other diners who have been to her restaurant would notice the difference in quality, but they were of the texture and taste I have only had along a coast or in the gulf, which is to say delicious.

Count me in the group that would like to hear about any live shrimp sightings...even a pound or so would be worth the drive.

pd

Jay K wrote:I'm assuming you're talking about geoducks or mirugai (in Japanese) - these long nosed clams?

Absolutely correct. I believe the price was $18.99 a pound. They had rubber bands around the shell for what reason I wasn't exactly sure.

Thanks for the cooking tips.

(Is it possible you could resize your image to 600 pixels? Thanks!)

Regards,

Pdaane,

I was really talking about Chicago shrimp, but you are right.

Your third category of shrimp exists, albeit more in theory than in fact, in my experience, along the Gulf. It's easier said than done to be sure that the shrimp are kept very cold when it's 95 degrees and 80% humidity. But I do agree that if you can find a reputable vendor, whether in LA, FL, of NC (where I was this summer), the never-frozen shrimp you describe can be great. The textural difference is big.

Indeed, your comment reminded me that in the Outer Banks, the "day-boat" fish purveyors offer delicious never frozen shrimp, along side the morning-caught tuna and snapper.

Now, if a store on Argyle or Cermak claims that it has maintained shrimp at 32 degrees in moving water, I'm disinclined to believe it. However, if the shrimp are swimming around on their own power, they'll get my business.

JeffB wrote: I was really talking about Chicago shrimp...

I know you were, which is why I hesitated to quibble about this third category.

JeffB wrote: Your third category of shrimp exists, albeit more in theory than in fact, in my experience, along the Gulf.

Actually, it is factual in each case where I have bought seafood along the gulf. Ice and sea water make a 32 degree bath, you just have to keep adding fresh ice.

At Joe Patti seafood in Pensacola, they fence off the ice from the shrimp and water. Given mass and time a fairly stable temperature is achieved and maintained. This place is a hoot and usally carries some royal reds, a very delicious deep water shrimp. All of the shrimp are in these holding tanks, the fish are on beds of ice, like at most markets in Chicago. Its also fun to stick your hands in the tanks when its 95 degrees outside...though as you might expect they discourage customers from doing that by hollering at you.

My trips have been limited to the times I was with my former college roommate to purchase seafood (first in New Orleans, then in Mobile and Pensacola), somewhere close to a dozen times. I recall he wouldn't let me buy from one roadside vendor because the shrimp were in bags on top of the ice, rather than in an ice water bath.

I assume he learned most of his seafood knowledge from in-laws born and raised in New Orleans. Not sure how they do it in other parts of the country or the world. I have very limited experience along the East Coast, but a few memories of seeing the same in North Carolina.

Regardless of the nit picking, I agree unfrozen, properly held (or live purchase) shrimp is worth the pursuit...I'm checking airline tickets now.

pd

Hi,

When you buy these live and kicking really fresh shrimp, how are they packaged for the ride home? Are they weighed dry, then placed in water to get you home? Once you have them in your hands is the next race to your home?

Having such choice fresh shrimp in your possession, is boiling the best way to eat them? I happen to prefer steaming lobster to boiling, would this apply to the shrimp? Treating frozen shrimp any which way is one thing, though I would want the best for the little ones.

I cannot wait for someone to pull the trigger to announce where the live ones can be bought!

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Cathy,

Each shrimp is placed into its own large plastic bag with some sea water; the fishmonger then inflates the bag before knotting the top closed. Just kidding.

In my experience, they throw a bunch of live, kicking shrimp into a big plastic tub or Chinese takeout container. I guess it's up to the buyer to get them home quickly. They live for a while.

My favorite way to eat them is the way they do it in Nice -- a very quick boil, so the shrimp are barely cooked and still twitching, and maybe some homemade mayo.

Peter, your Panhandle shrimp place sounds great. Most "fresh shrimp" places near my formative home were shacks or converted ice cream trucks. Some of the shrimp were constantly cold, I'm sure. Others not so much.

Just to add to the Chinatown data. I was at both Chinatown Market and Richwell's yesterday. Neither of them had live shrimp, although they did have lots of other live seafood.

I agree with C2's impression of the geoduck, though I'm told it makes excellent chowder.

I grew up in the Seattle area and have a cultural and culinary love of the giant clam known as geoduck. As stated it is great in chowder and in the past decade has become increasingly popular for sushi. It was once just cast into chowder pots and more recently many have discovered how great it can be raw or lightly cooked. My college pals and I used to slice and fry briefly as well as make Geoduck fritters much in the same vein as chonch fritters. They are often now up to $20 a piece so if you can find them here I would suggest buying one and having an AIM evening "Adventurous Ingredient Meal".

An interesting article on geoducks and the environmental impact of the huge demand for them in Japan and China

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/187366_geoducks21.html

Live shrimp available in Chinatown today - see my separate post.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=65810#65810

think i saw some @ Chicago Food Corp as well last weekend.

i *COULD* be mistaking tho