Welcome to Robyn’s School for Shrimp!
The holidays are here and all of us are excited about the family gatherings, parties and special events.
There is so much to do, so many places to go, right? It can get a little overwhelming – even to the most organized people I know. No matter how busy you become, you will still likely need to provide food for your family, your guests or will take a special dish to an event. I will try to make it a little easier for you … with shrimp!
Shrimp is the easiest appetizer out there. It is also among the most special of seafood dishes. Listen to your guests as they approach the buffet. After they notice that you have prepared a platter of cold, cooked cocktail shrimp with delicious spicy cocktail sauce, you’ll hear “Wow! Look, they have shrimp! Yum! OOOH! AAAH!” That has to make you feel good inside. And your guests, friends and family will realize how much they mean to you.
And now for the part that you think is hard – but really is not. That’s because I am going to help you determine which size shrimp to buy and how many to buy for your event. Then, you will be ready to receive your friends with open arms and platters of delicious, heavenly shrimp.
Buying cooked shrimp is the smart way to go. It saves you time from cooking, peeling and de-veining every shrimp. Cooked shrimp is ready to thaw and serve. First of all, no matter how many people you will be serving, the “golden quantity” for shrimp is three per person. Some people don’t like shrimp – but most people do like it very much (but also want to try everything else on the table.) So, go ahead and plan on three shrimp per person. If all of the shrimp disappears, that is a good thing! You always want them to want more. That’s part of what makes it so special.
Next, determining the appropriate size shrimp depends on how special the event is to you and how much you want to spend. Buying small or medium shrimp is inexpensive; large shrimp are reasonably priced; and extra large or colossal shrimp are more expensive. One thing to know is that shrimp are almost always on sale during the holidays. Wow! What a great concept! I recommend buying at least the medium size (41-50 count per pound) or the large size (26-30 count per pound.) These are our two most popular sizes.
Let’s say you have invited ten of your dearest, closest friends to your home for a special holiday party and, of course, you want everyone to rave about the food. Start them off with some colossal size cooked cocktail shrimp and spicy cocktail sauce. You will need 30 shrimp. Colossal size shrimp usually means 16-20 shrimp per pound. As a result, if you need 30, you will buy approximately 1 ½ pounds of shrimp. You will also need one pound of cocktail sauce.
OK, what if the party is for all of the family including the kids, cousins and pretty much anyone who calls themselves family? There will be a lot of people at your house. They know you always serve shrimp and they love you for it, but you can’t break the bank. So, what are you going to do? Simple! Just buy a smaller shrimp. I like to call it “One Dipper Shrimp” because you dip it once in the cocktail sauce and get just the right amount for a delicious bite. 41-50 count per pound is a great size. Remember: 3 shrimp per person. 50 people will eat approximately 150 shrimp. So, you will need to buy 3 1/2 pounds of shrimp. Two pounds of cocktail sauce should be just right.
Our Seafood Managers will be happy to help with all of your shrimp and seafood party questions. Just ask us!
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