Shrimp Fast Becoming American’s Favorite Seafood

White-fleshed, boneless and mildtasting, shrimp has all the qualities Americans like best in seafood.

“I don’t like fish,” people will tell you. “But, of course, I do eat shrimp.” They eat enough of it to make shrimp our second most popular seafood, behind canned tuna.

Shrimp consumption actually is rising - up to 2.5 pounds per person this year, from 2.2 pounds in 1990 - while tuna has fallen from 3.9 pounds per person in 1989 to 3.5 pounds (which is still, to be sure, a lot of tuna salad sandwiches).

The most obvious reasons for that rise are that shrimp is low in fat and calories and take only minutes to cook. But another reason has been the growth of aquaculture.

Farm-raised shrimp are harvested year-round, creating a consistent supply and a stable price. And they are frozen as soon as they’re taken out of the water, rather than having to wait until the shrimp boats return to port.

“Very little shrimp sold in this country is fresh; it’s just not possible,” said Paul LaBell, director of marketing and sales at Empress International Ltd. of Port Washington, N.Y., which imports 18 million to 19 million pounds of shrimp a year.

“What you see displayed in that ‘fresh’ fish counter is really previously frozen shrimp.”

About one-fourth of the shrimp eaten worldwide are now farmed, and industry observers say the number will continue to rise, probably reaching one-half by the year 2000.

While the oceans hold thousands of species of shrimp, American shoppers’ choice usually is between white shrimp from Ecuador, China or the Gulf of Mexico, pink and brown shrimp from the Gulf, and black tiger shrimp from Southeast Asia.

In the market, look for uniformity of size and firmness of texture. Use your nose: Shrimp, like other seafood, should smell of seawater or seaweed, not of ammonia or chlorine (which can come from a washing solution used to mask off-flavors).

If the shrimp have paper-thin shells, it simply means they molted shortly before harvesting, said Cynthia Nims, food editor of Simply Seafood magazine. All shrimp are in a continuous cycle of molting as they grow, exchanging their snug, smaller shells for new, thin shells that harden until the next molt. Black tiger shrimp, which grow especially quickly in warm, tropical waters, molt often.

An iodine taste in shrimp isn’t necessarily a sign of poor handling. It can come from the diet of water plants some wild shrimp feed on, especially brown shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico. The controlled diets of farmed shrimp give them a blander taste, further endearing them to timid American palates.

Although shrimp often are sold under such descriptions as “extra-colossal,” “large” and “small,” professionals talk about the number of shrimp in a pound. The smaller the number, of course, the larger the shrimp will be.

No matter what size you buy, two pounds of shrimp with their shells will yield about a pound after shells are removed.

To remove them, follow the advice of Shirley King, who boasts she has shelled thousands of shrimp in her career as a fish chef and cookbook author. King inserts the blade of a scissor under the shell at the top of the curve, then cuts through the shell along the curve to the tail. The shell will slip right off.

And don’t throw it away, said Nims. There is a surprising amount of flavor left in shells, which can be captured in a simple shrimp stock.

After peeling shrimp, toss the shells in a pan with just enough water to cover. Add parsley, onion, bay leaf, sliced carrot, sliced celery; bring the water to a boil and simmer about 10 minutes.

Drain the stock and use it in soups, chowders and sauces, or freeze for later use. You also can freeze the shells and simmer them later.

Shrimp with Lemon Alfredo Sauce From Simply Seafood magazine

8 ounces plain or spinach fettuccine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Juice from 1 large lemon

3/4 pound raw tiger shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed and patted dry

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Black pepper

Bring large pan of salted water to rolling boil; add fettuccine and cook just until al dente, two to three minutes for fresh pasta, five to seven for dried.

Meanwhile, combine butter and half-and-half in medium, nonstick skillet. Bring to boil. Boil about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and shrimp. Simmer until shrimp are opaque, three to five minutes.

Drain pasta thoroughly and place in large bowl. Pour hot shrimp sauce over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Toss quickly to coat noodles with sauce. Transfer hot pasta to individual plates, distributing shrimp evenly. Serve immediately, passing extra grated Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings.

Speedy Scampi From “365 Great 20-Minute Recipes” (HarperCollins)

4 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined

Salt and pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a skillet, melt butter. Add shrimp and cook until just pink, about three minutes. Remove to a warm platter and season with salt and pepper.

Add garlic and parsley to pan. Cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour garlic butter over shrimp.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Beer Batter Shrimp From the “Eating Well Rush Hour Cookbook”

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup beer

1 egg white, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup fine bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a bowl, whisk flour, beer, egg white and half the salt. In a second bowl, mix crumbs, pecans, pepper and rest of salt.

Dip shrimp in crumbs, then egg mixture, then in crumbs again, turning to coat well. Place them, not touching, on a rack sprayed with oil set over a sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Cajun Shrimp From “The Summer Book” (Little, Brown).

1/2 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, whole

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

16 extra-large shrimp, shelled

Combine all but shrimp in baking pan. Add shrimp and marinate at least one hour. Remove garlic. Bake eight to 10 minutes at 450 degrees, or skewer and cook on grill.

Yield: 4 servings.