Daily Archives: December 10, 2010

Shrimp Christmas Tree

Posted on December 10, 2010 by | 1 Comment

ANOTHER FRESH SEAFOOD IDEA

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When hosting a big party, a small dinner or a casual or formal gathering, let seafood be part of your menu.

You can serve a diverse selection of appetizers when you use seafood. And since many preparations are light, guests can enjoy them and still look forward to the main course.

A shrimp Christmas tree is a popular and beautiful appetizer which can also serve as a centerpiece.  You can find many recipes for the preparation of the shrimp. We like this simple but delicious method.

  • 2 pounds medium shrimp
  • 1 bunch curly endive
  • 1 foam cone, about 1 ½ feet tall
  • 1 box small round toothpicks
  • cocktail sauce

Prepare cocktail sauce ahead of time (even the day before) and chill thoroughly.

Simmer shrimp in salted or seasoned (Old Bay) water until pink and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and peel. Devein if desired. Chill thoroughly.

Separate, wash and dry endive.

Starting at the base of the cone and working up, cover the cone with overlapping leaves of endive. Fasten endive to the cone with toothpick halves. Cover fully with greens to resemble a Christmas tree. Use toothpicks to attach shrimp to the tree in loose spirals.

For flair, add a small red bow to the top of your tree. Serve with cocktail sauce.

The tree can be assembled several hours in advance. But be sure it is tightly wrapped in plastic to keep the shrimp from drying out. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 15 to 20.

Cocktail Sauce:

  • 1 ½ cups catsup
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 ½ tablespoons prepared horseradish (more to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce (more to taste)
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In small bowl, combine catsup, lemon juice, Worcestershire, horseradish, Tabasco and pepper. Chill thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Contributed by Joyce Taylor

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Crab Pot Christmas Trees – A True “Down East” Innovation

Posted on December 10, 2010 by | Leave a comment

SEAFOOD TRADITIONS

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The area east of Beaufort, NC where a number of central coastal fishing communities are located is known by the locals as “Down East.”  Here the crabbing industry was once a primary source of jobs.  Unable to fend off threats posed by pollution, rising fuel costs and the global market, dozens of crab picking houses shut down over the past 15 years.  In 1996, the state’s fishermen harvested nearly 66 million pounds of Atlantic blue crabs, but in 2009 they caught slightly less than 29 million pounds.

Nicky Harvey of Davis, NC once made a good living as a supplier of brightly-colored crab traps, called “crab pots” by the locals, to the commercial fishing industry.  Nicky once sold 3000 crab pots a season but was now lucky if he could unload 300 pots a year. With deep roots in the Down East culture where “making do with materials at hand” is a strong tradition, Nicky searched for other products to craft to keep his family business growing for his sons.

He first experimented with creating miniature crab traps for coastal decor. Then he began experimenting with triangles of the coated wire mesh of crab pots, and the Crab Pot Christmas Tree was born.  Nicky continued innovating until he found a way to string lights on the tree so they could be stored in a flat position and then opened for display with the light strings remaining in place.  The unique artificial tree became so popular with friends and neighbors, Nicky soon gave up on his line of crab pots to further develop his new product line.

Crab Pot Trees come in sizes of 2′, 3′, 4′ or 6′ tall and can be used indoors or out.  They are outfitted with a variety of colored lights.  During the Christmas season, Crab Pot Christmas Trees sprout like mushrooms in homes across the central Carolina coast. However if you aren’t planning a trip to coastal North Carolina, you can also buy them online.

Contributed by Barry Nash

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