Where to get Rock Shrimp?

[infinitecookbook]

I am a seafood freak. Love pretty much all shellfish. But I've had trouble finding really good Rock Shrimp - a specific type of shrimp that's a little smaller, sweeter in taste (people often think it has a lobster-like taste). I'd love to find a local seafood place in South Florida that had it but I'd be willing to have it shipped frozen from another State in the US. I found a pretty good place that had them still in the shell which wasn't bad. But they are a pain to shell since they are so small. So I'd prefer just the meat shelled already.

If you know of any place that has them that you'd recommend I'd appreciate it! Thanks.

 

[taxlady]

I'm sorry, I can't help with the rock shrimp.

Have you ever had shrimp froze without the shells? Maybe it's just around here, but I always find they are watery and not very flavourful.

 

[infinitecookbook]

I've had them out of the shell previously frozen and most of the time they've been fine (one time in Connecticut and another time down here in South Florida at Whole Foods - by chance they had it but it's not a regular thing unfortunately). However, I DID buy 3 pounds of it from another local market here only to find they were watery and spongy. I ended up throwing them all out (it was that bad). So I know what you mean.

I love cooking shellfish in the shell. More flavor kept in. I also don't mind peeling little shrimp or crawfish (I'm always the last one standing still peeling away until it's done - even to make a salad with or to put in a soup). But the rock shrimp are small and the shells are harder than shrimp or crawfish so it takes a lot longer and the chances of messing it up are greater.

Plus, what I want to recreate with it is this sushi hand roll a place in Encino, California used to call a "Spicy Baby Shrimp Handroll" which was really rock shrimp - TONS of them like a shrimp snow cone with spicy masago mayo and soy paper. That place changed ownership and no longer even have that roll anymore so... a quick boil of some rock shrimp would do it. Am I nuts? Or does this somehow make some sense?

 

[Caslon]

*sigh* wild caught shrimp is going to be a thing of the past soon, at least here on the West Coast. I used to be able to buy tiger shrimp shipped from Thailand. Now, even Thailand tiger shrimp is farm raised (it's lighter colored, less flavorful and no black tiger stripes). A lot of shrimp available now is farm raised. Wild caught Mexican shrimp? Forget it, that's a thing of the past. I used to be able to buy Mexican rock shrimp about 10 years ago, it's nowhere to be found now. Wow, last summer one major chain had east coast gulf shrimp (it was good)...but they only have it for about a month during the summer. I prefer shrimp over lobster, but, you know what? Wild caught shrimp (such as rock shrimp) will soon be as pricey as lobster, if you can find it (west coast).

 

[pacanis]

I hope things get better for you, caslon.

 

[Caslon]

I hope things get better for you, caslon.

Farm raised seafood. With all the pollution and over fishing...that's what's on the horizon. Thailand stopped shrimp trawling due to the chemicals found in the sea water there. Pacific mexican shrimp just got over fished.

This all reminds me of that song "2525." lol. oh well.

YouTube - Zager and Evans - In The Year 2525

 

[infinitecookbook]

That IS a shame. I remember going up the coast when I lived in LA and up to Santa Barbara where on the pier they would serve rock shrimp boiled live. One of the most delicate beautiful flavors of seafood. Sweet like lobster but softer and even tastier. I hope they still have them. What an experience.

 

[CraigC]

I will not buy any farm raised shrimp. Infinite, do you know where either Penn Dutch locations are? They have WC shrimp from Ecuador that is heads-on. I usually buy it in 5 lb boxes. Since heads-on shrimp is not really available in south Florida, these are a blessing. They are usually $5.99 lb and are pretty large. The fat in the head has not gone rancid. I also buy conch there at $11.99 lb. I buy a 5 lb box of frozen.

BTW, the freshest stoneys are at Grimms Stone Crabs, in Everglades City. They have their own boats and the claws are cooked as soon as the boats off load!

Craig

 

[infinitecookbook]

I will not buy any farm raised shrimp. Infinite, do you know where either Penn Dutch locations are? They have WC shrimp from Ecuador that is heads-on. I usually buy it in 5 lb boxes. Since heads-on shrimp is not really available in south Florida, these are a blessing. They are usually $5.99 lb and are pretty large. The fat in the head has not gone rancid. I also buy conch there at $11.99 lb. I buy a 5 lb box of frozen.

BTW, the freshest stoneys are at Grimms Stone Crabs, in Everglades City. They have their own boats and the claws are cooked as soon as the boats off load!

Craig

Thanks Craig. You are a wealth of knowledge on Floridian seafood! I don't know of any of those places. I used to go to a place called Captain Mike's off 441 but that's gone now. The place where I got the Stone Crabs was Casablanca in Miami (aka Garcia's) and it was pretty darn good! But I'll try Grimms... errrr next season. I really do love them but they are also pretty expensive is the only thing. Worth working for though.

I love jumbo shrimp with the head on and can never find it here. That's a really good tip. I'm going to try that. The meat at the top of the shrimp in the head is the best part IMO.

 

[CraigC]

If you are heading south on 95, you can see the Penn Dutch on the right between Stirling Rd. and Sheridan St. If you get off at Sterling and head west to Park Rd. Turn left and follow to the 4 way stop just before a small bridge. Turn left to the frontage road. You will only be able to turn left on the frontage road. You can't miss Penn Dutch on the left. It can be crowded. The Location I like best is just south of Sample Rd. on 441. If you take the Sawgrass west from the turnpike, go south on 441. It will be in a shopping center on the west side as you come over the bridge crossing Sample.

BTW, Capt. Mikes has been taken over by Two Bills. If you head east on Griffin from 441, I believe you turn left on 44th ave and follow north to the end to get to Two Bills.

Craig

 

[infinitecookbook]

Great stuff Craig. Yeah I think I HAVE seen that Penn Dutch sign probably many times but had no idea.

Didn't know about Two Bills. I THOUGHT something like that had happened but when I called Captain Mike's the Delaware Chicken Farm answered. They took over the number. They're pretty good too but Cap Mikes had more variety. Ipswich clams and all sorts of cool things. I miss it. But I'll check out Two Bills for sure.

The other thing I miss is finding sashimi grade tuna and salmon - ie. good enough for raw consumption. When I lived in LA there was a huge Japanese market that had it. But here... not so sure.

 

[CraigC]

You might be very disappointed in Two Bills. My wife won't go in the place as the smell is horrendous. They don't have the variety Mikes did.

That stupid chicken farm had their number for several years while Mikes was still in business I called their number and asked about Mikes only to be told they had closed. This was happening two years before Mikes actually closed!

Craig

 

[infinitecookbook]

Yeah I knew there was something fishy going on there.

 

[medtran49]

Craig forgot to add she also REFUSES to eat anything other than live crabs from that place because of said smell.

 

[infinitecookbook]

Craig's wife I presume? Haha. Yeah I don't think I am going to go to Two Bills. Smell is everything. Also variety makes it worth the trek for me. If they don't have Captain Mike's variety then...

I'd love a place that has rock shrimp regularly though. I'd make a trek for that.

 

[infinitecookbook]

They have them frozen already cook at Whole Foods. They call them Langostinos but I'm pretty sure they're rock shrimp. I'd love to find them like this but raw.