Food & Wine USA - (11)November 2018

THE CUT

Head-on jumbo

(10 to 16 per pound)

shrimp

THE TIME

1 hour

THE RATIO

Master brine of

6% salinity, where

some of the salt is

subbed out for bak-

ing soda. Ice keeps

the mix cold and

the shrimp fresh.

THE SNAPPIEST

SHRIMP

ACTIVE 20 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR 20 MIN

SERVES 6

8 cups water

1 /^2 cup fine sea salt (such as La Baleine)

2 Tbsp. baking soda

3 lb. raw head-on jumbo pink or brown wild

Gulf shrimp

3 cups cracked ice

1 / 4 cup olive oil

1 tsp. black pepper

1. Combine 8 cups water, salt, and baking soda
   in a large bowl, and stir until salt and baking
   soda dissolve and water is clear, about 1 minute
   and 30 seconds. Add shrimp and ice. Chill 1
   hour. Remove shrimp from brine, and pat dry.
   Discard brine. Chill shrimp until ready to cook,
   up to 1 hour.


2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss shrimp with oil
   and black pepper, and spread in an even layer
   on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast in pre-
   heated oven until heads are just opaque, about
   12 minutes. Transfer to a platter, and serve
   immediately.
   WINE Crisp, lemon-zesty Albariño: 2017 Eighty
   Four Napa Valley-Carneros
   TRY THIS METHOD WITH any size shrimp cooked
   any way.

H

ead-on jumbo wild shrimp make a
festive holiday main course. But
while they are quick to prepare,
they are easy to overcook and a pain to peel
at the table. Before asking your guests to roll

up their sleeves, brine the raw shrimp in a
slushy solution of sea salt and baking soda.
Alkaline baking soda slightly alters the pH of

the shrimp, making for extra-plump meat
that is as succulent as lobster and resists
overcooking. Added bonus: The meat pulls

away from the shells while cooking, so you
get all the flavor of shell-on shrimp with
none of the struggle of peeling them.