If you love lobster, perhaps you know that paying $20 for a night of in-house lobster is too much.In fact, lobster is so pricey that it's better to just focus on other fish when it comes to celebrations.But America is a nation that adores shells and removes itself from fins.I never understood the logic, but then again Japanese eat just about any fish if edible.
I went to the ethnic grocer over the weekend and came across a box.It was in the frozen section and they were fresh water prawns.I was a bit bewildered because the size of the shrimp was as large as a lobster.How does a shrimp grow so big?Also the color of the fresh water prawn was bright blue.I've heard of blue lobsters but never a shrimp.
I went home and decided to see what it was all about.The box cost about $20 so it wasn't cheap.But you could cook up prawn the size of lobsters and have enough of them to last a week.I mean why not right?Both species are well favored in America.
It turns out that fresh water prawn exists in Thailand and Vietnam.They grow in the native Mekong river.And just like everything else in their rivers, it grows and grows.Some of the largest monster fish live in Thailand.There's reason for this.The climate is perfect for warm water species to thrive.And if it wasn't for unregulated fisheries, the species of fish in that region would be even bigger.
Now in the past, I've had people tell me fresh fish alive is better than frozen.These days, I beg to differ.I truly believe that frozen fish are just as fresh as alive because they kill off parasites.And because of that, I don't see anything wrong with this huge shrimp frozen.Plus you won't find them alive in America because they'd be considered invasive right?
So how do you cook this baby?Apparently you can cook it up like any other shrimp or lobster.You just take it and boil it.And then you can pan roast them on a grill for the texture.And you can season it like you would any other shell fish.
The key here is cost.Why waste money on lobster?Yes it's delicious but you are also depleting the ocean.These fresh water species are farmed and relatively available.Now I'm not saying you can kill off fisherman in Maine.That's not what I am saying.What I am saying is that America can do better with variety of fish.
Last night I also saw an episode of Hugh's Fish Fight in the UK.I was just surprised that England relies mostly on 3 fish, Cod, Salmon, and Haddock.I mean seriously?And that's why we have problems in the ocean.
With fresh water fish, we can always find ways to bypass depleting the ocean right?Well I'm not sure about the stability of the lobster population but most definitely there is hope for this fresh water shrimp.If people can gain access to it and find that the taste is very good, then it could be a supplement or replacement to lobster during cooking.
I posted a photo of a Malay dish.Apparently it's native to Malaysia as well.I found Indonesia and Singapore to utilize a variety of fresh water fishes which we would normally throw away.I'm impressed by their array of foods.
Now I'm not endorsing more eating of shell fish.I'm well aware that this stuff can lead to some health issues if eaten too much.All I'm trying to do is open the eyes up for new ways to eat more seafood.And to me, America needs to do more about integrating variety in the fish department.All too often we adopt the UK culture of foods and not enough of Asian fish culture.
Fresh water prawn is another prime example of selections we just don't see in the market.I came across this in the local ethnic market by curiosity.
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