{"id":293,"date":"2014-09-22T05:32:52","date_gmt":"2014-09-21T21:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dal04.webhostcluster.com\/~bonita\/?p=293"},"modified":"2014-09-22T05:32:52","modified_gmt":"2014-09-21T21:32:52","slug":"mama-kathryns-cuban-shrimp-martini-styled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moonstruckbaydesigns.com\/?p=293","title":{"rendered":"Mama Kathryn’s Cuban Shrimp–“Martini-styled”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Martini-style\"<\/a>

Mama Kathryn’s Cuban Shrimp (Martini-Styled)<\/p><\/div>\n

My former mother and father-in-law, Kathryn\u00a0and R.J. (a retired U.S. Army NCO) grew up in the lowlands of the Carolinas–both true coastal lowlanders and watermen. Mama (Kathryn), was one of the best cooks I have ever met. As a military spouse she had the opportunity to share\u00a0the recipes, flavors and seasonings she grew up with while learning new ones and incorporating the rich and diverse\u00a0flavors\u00a0of friends from\u00a0all over the U.S. as well as those from all\u00a0around the world in the food she prepared for her family.<\/p>\n

For the entire length of R.J.’s\u00a0career, including tours of Vietnam as an Airborne Ranger and Instructor (a time in his life he very rarely spoke about and then only to tell you he didn’t want to talk about it) Mama scrimped and saved every penny she could and put it all in the bank. Just saving for “a little piece of dirt” as she used to say. When R.J. retired they realized their hard-earned dreams and bought a little farm outside of Clarkton, NC to finish rearing their three boys and within just a few years were able to purchase a tiny cottage on the inland waterway just north of Ocean Isle Beach.<\/p>\n

When I married their oldest boy I was “fresh off the boat” from South Dakota, I had only recently left home to join the U.S. Air Force and while a lover of all things fish and seafood–I had certainly never experienced the wonder of seafood dragged up by a net on R.J.’s boat and then brought within the hour straight to Mama’s kitchen.<\/p>\n

Let me tell you somethin’–the sweet, sweet shrimp of the Carolina coast is truly one of life’s extraordinary and enduring blessings!<\/p>\n

“Cuban Shrimp” is one of Mama’s repertoire of many, many delicious seafood recipes! It has become one of my true “go to” recipes in the many years since I haunted the refrigerator at their little house\u00a0on the inland waterway–snagging those sweet, briny bites of heaven\u00a0at every opportunity! So, of course, I put together a\u00a0batch for a small family reunion on my mother’s side a couple of years ago when they came out to Moonstruck Cottage for a visit. It was an unqualified hit–as it has always been!<\/p>\n

My cousin, Anna, a professional caterer in Indiana, absolutely loved the shrimp but was uncertain that “Cuban Shrimp” would be a title that would get her Indiana clients to “try and then buy” for their events. So, after putting her head together with her mother, my Aunt Carol, she dubbed it “Martini Shrimp!” (Whatever it takes to get folks to try it that first time is all I have to say! After that, they can call it whatever they want to–I guarantee it’s that good! And that easy!!)<\/p>\n

Mama Kathryn was and is an intuitive cook and rarely used measurements on recipes like this and I did they same for years–until now! But I’ve fiddled around until I got it all just right (with a couple of tiny twists of my own) so that I could share with all of you\u00a0and ensure that you get consistently delicious results!<\/p>\n

Tweaks aside, there is, of course, one key difference between her recipe and mine. As a resident of Virginia now, I no longer have access to the fresh-from-the-net and sublimely sweet shrimp of the Carolina coast that made Mama’s version so truly wonderful! So, I buy the best quality jumbo frozen shrimp I can find and, frankly, have never had anything but folks circlin’\u00a0back to the table (or rummaging through the fridge) for second and third helpings!<\/p>\n

Waterside livin’ and eating–wherever and whenever you’re with family or friends!<\/p>\n

Thanks, y’all, go to Mama Kathryn!<\/p>\n

“Buen provecho!” (“Enjoy your meal!”) Get ready to channel your inner Cuban!!<\/p>\n

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Cuban Shrimp<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n