key west pink gold

key west pink gold

It used to be that some of Key Wests biggest commodities from the sea were"pink gold" (shrimp) and queen conchs and people could make lucrative careers out of pirating. Nowadays, the TAXI CABS are pink, the only queens are the ones in drag, and butt pirating is a lucrative career.

While living on a houseboat in a marina in Key West, some of the local shrimpers introduced me to a delicious yet simple recipe that I ate so much of (four or five nights a week for 5 months) I developed a shellfish allergy! Fair warning, there is an excellent chance that you too may become addicted to this dish!

Ingredients:
one box white rice
one jar mango salsa
one bag of medium or large sized shrimp, frozen, shell on
one six pack of Harpoon UFO or other Hefeweizen
one garlic bulb
one teaspoon red pepper flakes
one teaspoon of tabasco
3-4 key limes
juice of 1/2 lemon
cilantro
salt
pepper

cook white rice according to instructions on the box. cover and set aside.
in large pot add the entire bag of frozen shrimp and enough beer to cover the top of the shrimp (approx 2 1/2 bottles) drink the other half of the bottle. Add one teaspoon red pepper flakes, one teaspoon tabasco, 4 or 5 cloves of garlic (smashed)and the juice of 1/2 of a lemon. GENTLY simmer the shrimp over medium- low heat until they look ALMOST done. Remove promptly from heat. The shrimp will continue to cook, so don't worry.
On a small plate, place a large round cookie cutter (or a well-washed tuna can with the label, top, and bottom lids removed) and spoon in a layer of rice. top the rice with a layer of salsa. remove cookie cutter. arrange the shrimp around the rice mound and garnish with chopped cilantro, salt, pepper, and lime wedges. serve with cold beer and enjoy!