Shrimp, Hon

Johnnycakes and I made a traditional and classic Baltimore dish; Steamed Shrimp! I think it's called peel and eat shrimp in some places but I usually just call it steamed shrimp. In Baltimore, we season the shrimp with good old fashioned Old Bay seasoning. I follow the recipe right off the Old Bay can because why mess with a good thing?

Here is the recipe right off the McCormick website http://www.mccormick.com/productdetail.cfm?ID=6216

STEAMED SHRIMP:

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon OLD BAY SEASONING

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1 pound shrimp.
In saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp, stir gently. Cover; steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, remove shells and vein on back.

Now, as you can see from the picture. There are onions on the plate as well. I like to steam the shrimp with onions for extra flavor. My family never ate onions with the shrimp while I was growing up but I learned about it while I worked at a seafood restaurant in high school and college. Apparently, it's quite common in the Baltimore region. You also have to dip them in cocktail sauce for the full effect!

On a side note, I picked up the shrimp for $11.95 at the Cross Street Market on the way home. As you can see, they are fairly large. I think they are 18-21 count but I can't recall off the top of my head.

This was the perfect dish for a Friday night. It was easy and delicious!