Back in the 90’s through 2000 we had a restaurant in SoCal that served killer shrimp. Literally, that was the name of the restaurant, Killer Shrimp, and that is all they served. The restaurant chain has closed; and ironically my wife and I used to discuss how we loved the shrimp but wished they would offer a salad and some other things. Well, they are gone, but you can make a salad, so lets make the absolute best shrimp dish on this or any other planet.
I make no claim to the following recipe. When our local Killer Shrimp shut down I began searching the internet for the recipe. I found it first in 2002 on Recipe Circus, and prior to writing this blog I found the same recipe on Copycat Recipes. It is out there, and I doubt anyone can claim it as theirs. Except, maybe you, if your friends are not scouring the internet looking for recipes you are about to become the man or woman of your hood. This is the absolute best shrimp meal that you will have ever eaten, unless you were lucky enough to eat at Killer Shrimp. Below is the step by step recipe for killer shrimp.
EASY RECIPE
Before we start, make sure you have lots and lots of french bread beacuse you are going to need it. This recipe serves 4 easily. But, there is plenty of sauce, so if you have more people coming for dinner just throw in another 1/2 pound of shrimp or so.
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsps thyme
1 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 qts. clam broth (Better Than Boullon makes a great Clam Base, if that is not available you can use their Lobster Base, and if all else fails you could use chicken stock, but I wouldn’t).
3 oz tomato paste
1 stick butter
1 lb shelled shrimp
lot and lots of french bread (you will be dipping the bread in the broth and you will be loving it)
Make the clam broth per directions on whatever provider you use, add the stick of butter, tomato paste and all other ingredients except the shrimp. Bring to high simmer and reduce to low simmer.
Call me crazy, but while waiting for the family to get home or the guests to arrive, make a salad.
When you are about to serve dinner, bring the sauce to a boil, drop the shelled shrimp into the pot, bring back to a boil, and then reduce heat and cook at high simmer for about 5 minutes.
If you do not tell your guests how you got this recipe, soon your neighborhood will be calling the dish your killer shrimp meal.
AND STUFF
When I was a kid the only organized sports available to me were baseball, basketball, and football. Because of my limited sports background, when my son started playing soccer a few years ago, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. But, watching the little kids running around with no apparent purpose in mind, was about as funny as watching a T-baller run to first base and keep going straight ahead instead of rounding first and going to second.
The one thing I knew about soccer was, although a player’s arms and hands worked perfectly well, all but the goalie were forbidden to use them.
Eventually, like all parents, I got roped into assistant coaching, and then refereeing. I attended the ref class, and although I passed it, I still had very little feel for the game. So, prior to my first game as a ref, I bought the book “Soccer For Dummies”. The book was as thick as a textbook. One reason for the size of the book was the numerous diagrams and examples through which I began to grasp the nuance of the often explained, but never quite in the same way, all critical off sides rule.
I was never entirely comfortable cavorting around in the knee high ref socks and shirt that would be a bit too loud even for a bowler. But, I am told, if anyone could carry off the look it was me (not sure if such comments were a dis or not [no, I am pretty sure the comments were a dis] ). Oh well, one must do what one is called upon to do because …….all together now…… “its for the kids”.
Truth be told, soccer was great. It is a tremendous game, and a great vehicle for improving the child’s strength, coordination, field vision, and understanding of strategy. I get its popularity.
Eventually my boy’s self awareness evolved to the point where not only was he aware the he had arms and hands, he wanted to use them. Off we went to flag football.
I liked flag football, as it was not too different from tackle football. I especially liked how in our league the kids were recruited, not drafted. My son’s team had more, and better coaches than many high schools. In fact, the headcoach had been a USC star and NFL player. What followed was 4 seasons of flag football, three of which my son’s team was in the championship game.
Eventually, my boy wanted to be a little more aggressive than was acceptable in flag. He heard the call of the helmet and padding. Again, our European friends came to the rescue, this time with lacrosse.
Prior to the first game, our lacrosse coach e-mailed the parents a copy of the rules to review. Unlike soccer, the rules can be pretty well set out in a 9 page booklet. Sweet.
Lacrosse rules in short: only three players on each team can roam the field end to end; a player cannot strike another player on the head with the stick; strike an unprotected part of the arm with the stick; hit a player from behind, or tackle too excessively. When smacking the opposing player with the stick or tackling him, the player being smacked must either have, or be within 5 feet of the ball. Oh, and only the goalie can touch the ball with his hands (what is it with those Euro’s and hands?). Finally, like hockey you can play from behind the net.
When we were buying the lacrosse gear, the salesperson quized my son to make sure he understood that he was going to be hit with a stick and slammed around roughly. My son said he understood, and was looking forward to smacking others with his stick.
So, it was with some humor I recall eveasdropping on an ex-soccer mom at the last game, who kept asking her friend how come the other boy (mine [note: proud moment] ) could hit her boy with the stick, and smash him to the ground without penalty, because all her son was trying to do was run with the ball. The friend of the mom advised her that the moves were legal in lacrosse (apparently the salesperson who sold her the club, er I mean stick, forgot to advise her about the rough play).
Lacrosse is a fast, tough, and exciting game. The experience is further enhanced by the fact that minimal rules mean minimal meddling by the ref. The kids wear helmets, faceguards, shoulder pads, and padded gloves. And they need all the protection they can get, as they flail away with their swords, er I mean, sticks trying to capture the ball way from the opponent and fling it to a teammate nearer the opposing goal for a score.
My boy has discovered that he likes this new level of play, but he wants to go the the next level, tackle football. I’ll get back to you on that one.
If you have kids or younger siblings you no doubt have great sports stories to share with your Killer Shrimp.
Good Eating and Table Talk,
Roger
