The best of South Carolina shrimp

Shrimp is the most popular seafood and that’s especially true here in South Carolina where our wild-caught Atlantic shrimp are unrivaled in taste. Even better—we South Carolinians know what to do with them. For all four of these recipes, I recommend jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 shrimp per pound) but feel free to experiment.

Shrimp fettuccine alfredo

SERVES 4

1 pound fettuccine

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

White pepper, to taste

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Grated Parmesan, for garnish

Cook fettuccine according to package instructions, and keep warm. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat heavy cream. Add butter and whisk gently to melt. Sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate. Season with pepper. Add pasta to sauce; stir to combine and keep warm.

Toss shrimp with cayenne pepper. In a skillet over medium heat, heat butter and saute garlic for 30 seconds; add shrimp and cook 2–3 minutes per side.

To serve, divide fettuccine and sauce in serving bowls or plates and top with shrimp. Garnish with parsley and additional Parmesan.

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Easy shrimp pilau

SERVES 6

6 slices bacon, cut in half-inch pieces

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1½ cups long-grain rice

Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

2½ cups seafood stock or clam juice (more if needed)

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

In a large pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp; remove to paper towel-lined plate. In the same pot, cook bell pepper and onion until soft, about 5–8 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until transparent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper flakes. Add tomatoes, stock and parsley and stir. Cover and bring to a boil; lower heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add additional stock if rice gets too dry.

Add shrimp to rice, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in bacon and serve.

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Blackened shrimp po’ boy

SERVES 4

Smoky Paprika Sauce

½ cup mayo

¼ cup yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice

½ teaspoon smoked paprika (also known as Spanish paprika)

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch, kosher salt

Shrimp

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

1 tablespoon blackened seasoning (more if desired) (recipe in sidebar)

2 tablespoons canola oil, for frying

2 baguettes, halved and split (or 4 hoagie rolls, split)

Iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Sliced pickles, optional

In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made the day ahead to allow flavors to meld.

In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with seasoning. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add shrimp all at once and cook 2–3 minutes per side. Remove to paper-lined plate and keep warm.

Spread sauce on baguettes and add lettuce, tomato and pickle slices to the bottom. Top with equal amounts of shrimp and serve. Leftover sauce can be passed for additional servings.

Chef’s Tip

Homemade blackened seasoning

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix in a small bowl; jar and store in a cool dry place.

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Shrimp and sausage grits

SERVES 4

Grits

3 cups milk

3 cups heavy cream, plus more for thinning if needed

1 cup stone-ground grits

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt

White ground pepper

1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

Shrimp

2 pounds medium uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails on

Kosher salt

Pinch cayenne pepper, more if desired

½ lemon, juiced

4–5 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 pound spicy sausage, cut into ¼-inch slices

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 green onions, sliced

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add milk and cream; slowly whisk in the grits. When the grits start to bubble, reduce heat and simmer for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in butter, salt, pepper and cheese. If still too thick, add additional cream ¼ cup at a time until desired consistency. Set aside and keep warm.

Into a medium bowl, add shrimp, salt, cayenne and lemon juice; set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon pieces and cook until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Add the peppers and onion to the skillet and saute until soft, about 3 minutes; add garlic and cook an additional minute. Make a well and add sausage to the skillet and cook until brown. Sprinkle the mixture with flour and stir; slowly pour in the stock and stir until mixture is smooth. When it starts to simmer, add shrimp and cook 2–3 minutes until opaque. Stir in bacon, parsley and green onions. To serve, spoon grits into serving bowls and top with shrimp mixture.

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Tips and techniques

Fresh vs. frozen. Frozen shrimp can be used interchangeably for fresh shrimp in any recipe. Thaw shrimp in the refrigerator overnight before cooking, or, if you’re in a hurry, in a bowl under slow-running cold water until thawed.

Should I remove tails from shrimp? This is a personal preference. Generally, the tails are removed to make the dish easier to eat. However, in more sophisticated dishes, the tails may be left on for appearance and presentation.

What’s your favorite color? While there are over 300 species of shrimp worldwide, the four main types available in our area are white, pink, brown and red. Once cooked it is almost impossible to visually tell them apart.

Keeping count. Shrimp is graded by size based on the number of shrimp per pound.

Colossal (also referred to as U15) = 15 shrimp or less per pound

Extra Jumbo = 16 to 20 shrimp per pound

Jumbo = 21 to 25 shrimp per pound

Extra Large = 26 to 30 shrimp per pound

Large = 31 to 40 shrimp per pound

Medium = 41 to 50 shrimp per pound

Small = 51 to 60 shrimp per pound

Tiny = 61 to 70 shrimp per pound

Prawns vs. shrimp. There is no distinguishable difference in the taste of prawns

and shrimp. They are interchangeable in recipes.

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Related story

Deveining shrimp—Let Chef Belinda show you how professional chefs peel and devein shrimp in this how-to cooking video.