The next catch

In a state synonymous with seafood, shrimp is the unofficial poster child, thanks to its lengthy season, hefty harvest and culinary versatility. Louisiana is the No. 1 shrimp producer in the United States, with shrimpers hauling in more than 114 million pounds annually from the Gulf of Mexico to waiting restaurants, seafood markets and consumers.

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in April of last year led to one of the worst years on record for the industry. But it is beginning to recover in 2011, says shrimp producer Harlon Pearce, chair of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board.

“We’re off, but not dramatically, from 2009,” Pearce says. “The cold weather and too much fresh water in some areas slowed things down at the beginning of the season, but we’re expecting it to pick up.”

Louisiana’s shrimp season runs from April to December, with brown shrimp season starting first. As it slows in the late summer, white shrimp season takes over. The biggest difference between the two varieties, other than color, is size. Brown shrimp are smaller, ranging from about 21 to 40 shrimp per pound, while white shrimp’s per-pound count can reach 10.

“These are the kings—the jumbos,” Pearce says.

Some overlap exists between the two varieties, and consumers shouldn’t be surprised if they see them both side by side, says the Louisiana Seafood Board’s chef ambassador, Brian Landry. Mostly, though, the shrimp available from now to the end of the year are whites.

Landry recommends buying shrimp at farmers’ markets, where they’re often harvested the day before.

“The color and the look of the shrimp is your best indicator of freshness,” says Landry, a native New Orleanian who left his post as executive chef at Galatoire’s Restaurant and Galatoire’s Bistro to become the Seafood Board’s chef ambassador. “Make sure the color of the head, especially, is nice and clear and is holding its shape. If it’s starting to turn black, it’s not fresh.”

With the weather still hot this month, Landry recommends simple preparations that minimize cooking time and take advantage of the natural sweetness of the whites. He’s a fan of poaching shrimp and serving them with a fresh salad of local tomatoes and torn herbs. Landry also likes creating simple broths with shrimp heads, which can be used in light pasta dishes or Asian-inspired soups that feature shrimp and lightly sautéed vegetables.

Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival

Sept. 1-5

715 Second St.

Downtown Morgan City

shrimp-petrofest.org

Held every Labor Day weekend in Morgan City, Louisiana’s oldest chartered festival—it began in 1936—celebrates two of the state’s historic economic drivers, shrimping and oil production. Spoken in the same breath, the two can seem incongruous, as they did in 2010 when the BP oil spill wreaked havoc on the shrimp industry. Still, the free festival’s intent is to celebrate the hardscrabble workers in both fields through continuous live music—including sets by Baton Rouge favorites Allison Collins and David St. Romain—crafts, food booths and, of course, shrimp. Boiled, fried and stuffed.

Can’t-miss shrimp dishes

It’s not hard to find shrimp in Baton Rouge. From fresh to stuffed to tucked in a po’boy, they’re everywhere. Here are a few standouts.

Serranos Salsa Company’s refreshing Apricot-glazed Shrimp Salad paints grilled Gulf shrimp with a tangy apricot glaze and serves them over mixed greens with avocados, dried cranberries and almonds. The dressing’s balance of sweetness and acidity and the bounty of plump, toothy shrimp make this salad a winner in the remaining weeks of heat.

Maxwell’s Bacon-wrapped Shrimp Kabobs are a tailgater’s best pal, providing a punchy seafood option alongside ribs and briskets. Sweet, fresh shrimp are peeled and deveined, wrapped in smoky bacon then neatly placed on skewers. Toss on hot grates for a few minutes on each side and serve alone or with chipotle BBQ sauce or a dab of fig preserves.

Breaux Bridge’s iconic restaurant and B&B, Café des Amis, is famous for its crawfish-topped catfish, pulsing Zydeco brunch and—most of all—its award-winning BBQ Shrimp Pont Breaux, in which sweet and tender jumbo shrimp are served head-on in a pool of the Café’s homemade sauce. Owner Dickie Breaux won’t reveal what’s in it, but the sweet, savory and nearly black lacquer is finger-lickin’ good. Wear a bib.