Sunday's Kahuku style shrimps

I must say I’ve been craving shrimps for the longest time and I’ve tried a number of products, none of which were satisfying until I found farm-raised Ecuadorian shrimps. SHRIMP ALL THE WAY FROM ECUADOR!

But a quick Google search reveals something surprising: Ecuador is the world’s 2nd largest producer of (sustainable) shrimp, so there.

Since these were raw and still in their shell, I thought that the perfect style of cooking them was Kahuku style- a favorite local dish in the Hawaiian island of Oahu, popularized by a string of shrimp trucks (or stands) found in and around Oahu's Kahuku community. We had this when we were in Hawaii and have been replicating it ever since.

There’s a million recipes of it and this is how I made it:

Ecuadorian shrimp is good

Ecuador's insistence on lower stocking densities and the use of naturally disease-resistant shrimp ensure healthy and flavorful development without the need for techniques found in other parts of the world, including heavy use of antibiotics and genetic engineering.

Flour and baking soda

Truth be told, we’ve never really cleaned shrimp back in the Philippines. But I did it anyway- they were big enough- and then dredged them in flour and a teaspoon of baking powder.

Fry them first

I fried them quickly in high heat, and you can already see the fat in the heads melting and coloring the olive oil. The flour and baking powder coating also crisped up the shell, making them edible. Tip: trim off the walking legs and the swimmerets. This would make it easier to peel off the shell. After frying, set aside.

Do a whole head of garlic

Don’t mince them too fine

Use the best better you've got

You will end up eating a lot of butter so might as well use the best one, preferably grass-fed unsalted butter (this is Westgold).

Then add in your shrimps

At this point, I also added a chicken-flavor cube, paprika (should have been cayenne) and some water which helps create a thick, delicious sauce. Lower the heat and stir occasionally for about 15 minutes.

Peeled or not?

I might try a version with the shells taken off just to make the eating of them is easier and less messier. Most of the flavour was there though I have to admit. I might still batter the shrimps and leave the heads intact.

Best shrimp meal I've had in a long time

Can’t wait for the next one (the box did have 1.8kgs of shrimp).