But fish for dinner, unless it's fried or Friday, is not very common. Seafood, in particular, is still considered a bit of a luxury and will not often make it to the table "just because", or as a regular midweek dinner option. It's strange really, because there are so many exciting things to eat from the Dutch waters that is not just your plain ole fishy-fish-fish. Mussels, eel, herring, oysters, clams, trout, plaice, and some local varieties such as the North Sea sole, and the North Sea shrimp otherwise known as the Dutch brown shrimp, or in Dutch grijze garnaal, grey shrimp, are all excellent choices.
This last one, Crangon crangon, is very tasty and a real treat if you can get your hands on some: the shrimp are smaller and browner in color than the pink ones, but the taste is also much more delicate and flavorful. Use them for shrimp cocktails, in warm seafood dishes or covered in whiskey cocktail sauce on a white roll.
As their size is smaller, these little nuggets are a pill to peel mechanically, so it's done mostly by hand. In the old days, this was part of the daily chores of the women of Volendam and Zeeland, but is now outsourced to countries such as Poland and Morocco. An old television advertisement for the Yellow Pages, featuring two Dutch shrimp peelers, gives an idea of this overwhelming task.
For celebratory occasions such as Christmas and New Years, often a shrimp cocktail will be part of the dinner course. Served in a glass, with some lettuce, parsley and a dollop of whiskey-cocktail sauce, it's a festive way to start a meal - very seventies, in a way, and a nice change from red horseradish cocktail sauce.
The sauce really makes or breaks the dish. Make sure you make a larger batch of sauce, as it goes very well with other foods, especially with red meats or French fries!
Garnalencocktail
12 oz (350 grams) salad shrimp (or shrimp of choice)
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/8 scant teaspoon sweet paprika
1/8 scant teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon whiskey
Pinch of white pepper
Pinch of salt (optional)
Lettuce leaves
Parsley
Lightly whip the cream so that it takes volume, one or two minutes, but remains liquid. Carefully fold in the ketchup, mayonnaise, paprika, curry, lemon juice and white pepper. Add the whiskey, stir and taste. Adjust the seasonings if needed. If you like a little kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Rinse the lettuce leaves, then divide them over four glasses. Pat the shrimp dry and divide over the lettuce, add a good dollop of sauce on top of the shrimp and finish with some parsley.
The ingredients look simple enough to acquire. I guess the preparation will be the real challenge, especially for those who aren't kitchen savvy. I'm actually quite curious as to how the alcohol shapes the flavor.
ReplyDeleteI think the preparation is alright, it's the presentation which will be real challenging. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I'll give this a try!
ReplyDeleteI love cocktail shrimp regardless of the preparation, especially when paired up with a vintage spirit. This looks like something that could heighten the experience. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't really taste at all like the bottled whiskey sauce I'm used to, but it is pretty good. I made it to surprise my Dutch fiancee', but she hated it, so I guess I get it all to myself.
ReplyDeleteThis was the sauce you had for the lobster? It was fantastic.
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