Food: Shellfish Pursuits

Consumers’ love of shrimp and crab runs deeper when traditional preparations get contemporary touches.

By Allison Perlik, Senior Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 9/1/2007

Shrimp and grits are expanding beyond their Southern roots to menus nationwide, as in this spicy rendition from Gator’s Neo-Soul Café. Chive oil and red onions complement shrimp cocktail at The View. Wildfish Seafood Grille pairs crab with shrimp rémoulade.

They call their dishes Shrimp Cocktail, but chefs Mark Arnao’s and Ian Clark’s riffs on the classic starter are far cries from simple chilled shrimp dunked in tangy, tomatoey sauce.

At Centro Latin Kitchen & Refreshment Palace in Boulder, Colo., Executive Chef Clark poaches tiger shrimp in savory broth with onions, citrus and herbs. His Mexican-inspired cocktail sauce is spiked with Worcestershire sauce, clam-tomato juice and chipotle pico de gallo. Executive Chef Arnao poaches jumbo shrimp in white wine, white-wine vinegar, leeks, lemon and herbs at The View restaurant in New York City, where he matches the flavor-infused shellfish with three dipping sauces: curry cream, Mary Rose and traditional cocktail.

"Shrimp cocktail is one of those comfort zones customers go for," Arnao says. "You can serve it a billion different ways, but the basics of what people know [as shrimp cocktail] are there."

Putting a personal stamp on classic preparations proves a promising formula not only for shrimp—by far consumers’ favorite seafood, with Americans eating a record 4.4 pounds per capita last year—but also for crab, consumption of which has increased 51% since 2001, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Witness the array of smartly appointed crab cakes, from pretzel-crusted versions at upscale restaurant Temple Downtown in Providence, R.I., to crab-cake sandwiches at Frederick, Md.-based quick-service chain Roy Rogers restaurants. Creamy crab dip, an old-school treat now back in vogue, appears at operations as diverse as Houston-based casual-dining chain Rainforest Cafe and Chef-owner Marc Murphy’s trendy Ditch Plains in New York City.

"Crab dip is always one of our top appetizers, and other crab treatments we do—whether it’s a topping on fish or Dungeness crab legs—are well-received," says Kathy Ruiz, vice president of culinary operations at Rainforest Cafe. "Consumers are a lot more comfortable with crab than in the past."

Operators take comfort in shrimp and crab as well. The versatile products can be purchased in multiple formats and at price points matching the needs of nearly any kitchen. Neither requires complex cooking, and both offer sweet, mild flavors that marry beautifully with other popular ingredients.

Starring Shrimp

Given consumers’ fondness for battered or breaded preparations, it’s little wonder that two types of deep-fried shrimp sell briskly at Ginger Asian Bistro in Orland Park, Ill., where Executive Chef Joe Wojcik’s renditions ratchet up the familiar recipe a few notches. Medium-size Gulf shrimp are marinated briefly in ginger-infused sake, egg white, cornstarch and a sweet-salty seasoning blend and then coated in panko crumbs or tempura batter. Mango-chile sauce and ponzu aïoli accentuate the panko shrimp; ginger-ponzu accompanies the tempura.

At Dallas-based Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza, Shrimp Parmesan staves off veto votes from diners not interested in the casual-dining chain’s signature pies. The bite-size shrimp—purchased beer-battered and frozen—are deep-fried to order, sauced with marinara, topped with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and finished in conveyor ovens.

"Shrimp is so identifiable to the masses, and fried shrimp served this way fits right in with our pizza-and-pasta menu," says Bud Boswell, director of purchasing and development.

Deep-fried preparations are just one of many popular paths for shrimp improvisation. Kevin Camarillo, executive chef at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, punches up shrimp scampi by adding adobo and Worcestershire sauces and chile flakes to the dish’s traditional garlicky sauce. At Gator’s Neo-Soul Café in San Mateo, Calif., Chef-owner Glenn Thompson puts a California spin on Southern shrimp and grits, lightening traditional butter sauce and adding more-robust flavor.

Cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce and amber ale-style beer distinguish Thompson’s updated approach. The spicy sauce, thickened with olive-oil-and-chicken-stock roux, blankets sautéed tiger shrimp, which are seasoned with Gator’s proprietary spice blend and spooned over creamy grits.

New Crustacean Sensation

At Wildfish Seafood Grille’s locations in Newport Beach, Calif., and Scottsdale, Ariz., Executive Chef-partner John Carver credits the top-selling status of his New Orleans-style shrimp rémoulade adaptation to the one-two punch of both crustaceans.

Carver’s Crab-Stuffed Shrimp With Chive Rémoulade starts with grilled colossal shrimp draped with Jonah crab-leg meat, seasoned panko, chives, parsley, shallots and Parmesan cheese. Broiled quickly for a crispy bite, shrimp are splashed with chive-rémoulade vinaigrette flavored with Creole mustard, tomatoes and red onions.

"Crab is one of those ingredients that if you put it on fish or shrimp, people say, ‘I’ll have that,’" he says. "It’s that added value—and people love fresh crab."

Veal Oscar, another traditional preparation pairing crab with a second protein, gets a lighter update in the Chicken and Crab Entrée, a regional special at Glendale, Calif.-based ESPN Zone. Used in place of typical veal cutlets are chicken breasts marinated in a chipotle vinaigrette that caramelizes nicely on the grill. Lively artichoke pesto stands in for béarnaise or hollandaise sauce.

East Coast Regional Chef Gary Patterson says that although claw meat offers more-aggressive flavor, ESPN Zone’s recipe calls for jumbo lump and lump crab atop the chicken because larger pieces elicit higher perceived value for guests. Thin spears of grilled asparagus and roasted-garlic mashed potatoes complete the hearty meal.

Despite its aptitude for spotlight sharing, crab is more than capable of standing on its own, as evidenced by the reimagined crab Louis that Catering Production Manager Mathew Starcher menus at West Virginia University in Morgantown.

The recipe’s traditional mayonnaise-based dressing is given new flavor dimensions as minced chipotles and Worcestershire, adobo and chile sauces combine for added kick, while sherry hits sweet notes.

For flavorful garnishes to chilled Alaska king crabmeat nestled in Bibb and iceberg lettuce leaves, Starcher presents pickled hard-cooked eggs, marinated Roma tomatoes and capers, and a cracked king crab leg.

"The things you can do with crab Louis are really limitless," Starcher says. "Crab just goes so well with so many different flavors."

• Scampi Camarones
• Torta de Congrejo

Import Impact

In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced broader import controls on farm-raised shrimp and four other types of seafood from China, instituting a policy of detaining the products at the U.S. border until they are proved to be free of unapproved animal drugs or food additives.

According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, Chinese shrimp imports account for 9.6% of the total U.S. shrimp supply, and all shrimp imported from China is aquacultured. If decreased supplies drive up shrimp prices, the FDA’s move potentially will affect foodservice operators whether or not they use the Chinese product.

So far, prices for Mexican shrimp served at West Virginia University in Morgantown have not been affected, says Catering Production Manager Mathew Starcher. An increase is possible, though, because the university contracts shrimp prices for its board plans but not for catering, he says.

At Gator’s Neo-Soul Café in San Mateo, Calif., Chef-owner Glenn Thompson says that if prices get too high on the American tiger shrimp he purchases, he will switch from buying direct to working with a large-scale distributor that offers lower prices because it has bulk buying power.

Kathy Ruiz, vice president of culinary operations for Houston-based Rainforest Cafe, is confident that the seafood-purchasing arm of parent company Landry’s Restaurants will be able to lock in reasonable prices on the wild shrimp it purchases. In general, the broad availability of farmed shrimp from other sources will keep costs stable, she believes. “It’s good that they’re putting further regulations on items we bring in from other countries,” she says. “It will help keep people honest at the end of the day.”