Why do people feel so strongly about shrimp? Why do pro-shrimp feel so defensive about their love, and anti-shellfish people feel so strongly about fishing them out of every dish? Our best guess could be that like mushrooms, the texture is just too much to bear for some people, and once again we stand as a house divided at Spices, Inc World Headquarters. Unlike mushrooms, where fanatics are desperate to surreptitiously slip mushrooms into any meal they can to “prove” that no person can really hate mushrooms (They just haven’t given them “a real chance!”) Shrimp Lovers are far less generous. Fine, skip the shrimp. That just means more for us.

So let’s talk about how we flavored these little guys. Chef Jeff went with an “Extra Large” shrimp and lightly marinated them with our Caribbean Spice and our Scotch Bonnet Flakes. This might be the part where you’re like, “Scaly bug things that come from the sea… Why not?? But what I will NOT tolerate is SPICY sea bugs.” We want to validate your preferences, so we’ve got options for you. If you’d like to go with just Caribbean Spice, you’ll still get a teeny tiny kick of cayenne and black pepper, but it will balance it out with brown sugar, allspice, and cinnamon. The lemon peel adds a little citrus pair that partners well with the lime juice that’s already in the marinade. If you want your shrimp even hotter?  You could choose to leave the Scotch Bonnet flakes and opt for Jamaican Jerk Seasoning  instead of the Caribbean Spice. Jamaican Jerk Seasoning also has Scotch Bonnet Flakes but also has more of more rounded “spice” profile, and a bit more herbaceous-ness from thyme and chives. This adds some more layers to that desired "hot" flavor. 

Before you start sweating too much about the hypothetical heat of this dish, take into consideration the truly breathtaking coconut rice that Jeff made with it. Instead of just boiling it according to the package directions, Jeff decided to prepare some Jasmine rice with full-fat coconut milk, lime juice, shallots (you could use our dried ones if you’re not a regular Shallot Shopper), and even more coconut. What this meant for our rice was that instead of it being a blank and neutral palette for our taste-testers shrimp samplers, the rice instead was given an opportunity to lend a sweet and fragrant balance of flavors against the sharpness of the Scotch Bonnet-studded shrimp. YES, the shrimp was amazing, but even the people who normally opt for the milder side of the menu were able to enjoy the pairing of the two.

Shrimp, like all seafood, are unfortunately susceptible to the threats of over-fishing and environmental consequences related to global warming. Enjoy our recipe, but if possible, try and find a sustainable source for your seafood recipes.

Makes 3 servings.