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Email Story to a Friend June 14, 2006 Now is the time for fresh Pacific shrimp As the 90-foot trawler slices through crested waves, a bank of wheeling, squawking gulls hangs overhead. The net has just been brought aboard after an hour's drag through the chill waters off the Oregon coast. A half-ton of tiny Pacific shrimp tumble out into the sorting hopper. Wind pounces on the fishermen as they quickly reset the net for another drag, a process that's repeated up to 10 times a day. Commercial fishing is never a cakewalk. But at least local shrimpers work during the slightly more civilized period of weather between April 1 and Oct. 31. When the weather's good, the larger boats will stay out up to five days, stowing their catch on ice. Shrimp trawlers are double-rigged, meaning they use two nets, as opposed to the single-rigged trawlers going for groundfish. The nets ride at depths ranging from 60 to 600 feet, depending how far out to sea they are. And although the mesh size is small, they are equipped with bycatch reduction devices BRDs. Mandatory in Oregon since April of 2003, BRDs are designed to dramatically reduce the catch of other fish. The season is designed to avoid the reproductive period of the shrimp stock. Even so, and for reasons not completely understood, the annual harvest varies on a roller-coaster 10-year cycle, from as many as 57 million pounds to as few as 4 million. Advertisement Although cold water shrimp are smaller than most of their warm water counterparts, they're still a prized commodity. Leading producers of cold water varieties are Canada, Iceland, Greenland and Norway. Their catches are dominated by two species, Pandalus borealis and Pandalus jordani. The borealis tend to be larger than jordani and produce cooked and peeled meats that generally range from 90 to 300 shrimp per pound, which is how you'll find them described in the seafood case. The smaller jordani is the most common species from Northern California to Southeast Alaska. They range in size from 250 per pound up to 500 per pound. Those guys are really tiny! Beyond all of that technical stuff, my bottom line is that I simply LOVE fresh Pacific shrimp when they're in season. They're already cooked and peeled, so they're healthy, tasty and convenient. My tips for enjoying them are simple and few: Right before using, always tumble the shrimp into a strainer and give them a gentle rinse to wash away any trace of fishiness. Fresh are best. But later in the season you're likely to encounter this season's harvest that have been frozen. When that's all I am able to find, I bypass the thawed shrimp in the fish case and ask the merchant to sell me shrimp straight out of the freezer. They can do this if the shrimp have been individually quick frozen IQF, as opposed to frozen in a large, solid block. IQF simply means that individual shrimp are frozen, dipped in or sprayed with water and then refrozen. They are packed rather loosely, which enables the merchant to sell them in quantities as small or large as desired. Buying shrimp frozen means they'll have a much fresher taste than the ones that have thawed and lingered in the market because I can manage the thawing to coincide with my time frame for serving. To thaw IQF shrimps, simply spread them out on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and place them in the refrigerator overnight. Before using, tumble them into a strainer and refresh their flavor with a gentle rinse of cool water; drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Shrimp cocktails are still my hands-down favorite preparation. And my most fun form is a make-your-own shrimp cocktail bar, an arrangement in which diners assemble their own from an array of chopped celery and colorful peppers, two different cocktail sauces and a big bowl of shrimp. I've done this in the casual outdoor settings of campgrounds and picnics just put out the clear plastic cups and bowls, as well as at more formal events where my loveliest crystal martini glasses are employed. I never tire of shrimp cocktails. But eventually, I will explore all the other wonderful approaches to enjoying this wonderful Pacific Northwest treat. Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s Advertisement