Campfire Shrimp

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n our trip to Prince William Sound in May our friend Kip hand delivered fresh Spotted Shrimp to our campsite! Wasting little time, we decided to cook them two different ways.  We had a shrimp throw down! A few years ago I learned a little secret:  If possible, cook your fresh crustaceans in sea water!  This gives the meat incredible flavor and the natural salt water has just the right salts and minerals to add to that "melt in your mouth" experience.   Otherwise,  salt the water and bring it to a boil. We filled a pot full of sea water and brought it to a rolling boil over the fire.  Next, we placed the shrimp into the water and kept an eye on them as to not over cook.  Although we didn't time the shrimp, they don't take long to be cooked throughly 5-7 minutes.  After a few minutes in the boil use a spoon to pull one out.   Crack it open and check to see if the meat is a bright white all the way through.  If not, throw 'er back in and give it another minute or two.  You will be able to visibly see the shrimp turn a bright white, this is what you are looking for to achieve correct doneness.  For these shrimp all we did was boil and eat.  The group couldn't get enough! For the second batch,  we used a grate and grilled them over the open fire.  Since we were in the sticks, and didn't bring our spice cabinet, we  simply prepped the shrimp with a bit of salt and pepper.  I did however, bring some cooking spray so we gave the grate a quick spritz before adding the shrimp (don't use an aerosol directly over the fire ).  Cooking this way can take a bit longer and the meat does not turn as bright of  white, more off white.  You should still be able to tell if it is all the way cooked. Cooking them over an open wood fire gave them and excellent smokey flavor and with the complement of  seasonings it was a tough call on which variation won the  award!  While certainly not a game changer, the only thing that could have added to the excellence was a yummy garlic butter to dip them in.  Next time!  Something so simple was a fantastic way to end a long day of hunting. Enjoying a delicious treat and enjoying the camaraderie around the fire are what trips like this are truly about.   Here is my favorite garlic dipping butter so you have all of your ideas in one place!  

• 1 Cup unsalted butter
• 1 Tablespoon of minced or mashed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• a few twists of fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and a few shavings of lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

2 sticks of butter, In a sauce pan over medium heat use one Tbs. of butter add your minced or mashed garlic and sauté until golden brown(about 3 minutes).  Add remaining butter and stir frequently until melted.  Reduce heat to low add lemon juice and seasonings.  To infuse all of the flavors cook on low for about 10 mins stirring occasionally.  Strain before serving if desired.