Hey seafood lovers! Today I’m gonna share my mind-blowing experience with one of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures – the mantis shrimp. If you’re like me and always on the hunt for unique seafood experiences, you’re in for a real treat!
The Short Answer
Mantis shrimp tastes intensely sweet, similar to lobster but with an even more tender texture. It’s like getting the best parts of both lobster and premium shrimp in one delicious package!
My Personal Experience with Mantis Shrimp
I remember my first encounter with these little fighters at the Flushing markets Let me tell ya – these aren’t your regular shrimp! These feisty crustaceans actually slapped me in the face with their tail when I got too close Talk about attitude!
What Makes Mantis Shrimp Special?
Physical Characteristics
- Not actually a shrimp or prawn
- Has sequentially overlapping body segments
- Square-shaped head
- Looks like a praying mantis (hence the name!)
- Usually smaller than regular lobsters
The Taste Profile
Let me break down the flavor components for you
-
Sweetness Level
- Intensely sweet
- More concentrated than regular shrimp
- Comparable to premium lobster meat
-
Texture
- Super tender
- More delicate than tiny chicken lobsters
- Meat easily separates from shell when cooked
How to Cook Mantis Shrimp
Here’s what I’ve learned about preparing these tasty creatures:
Basic Cooking Methods
-
Boiling (Simplest Method)
- Bring water to boil
- Drop mantis shrimp in
- Cook until shell turns bright red
- Eat straight outta the pot!
-
Advanced Dishes
- Risotto (using shells for broth)
- Bouillabaisse
- Pasta dishes
- Paella
- Sushi topping
Pro Tips for Cooking
- Save the shells to make amazing seafood broth
- Don’t overcook – they’ll get tough
- Try them in Mediterranean-style dishes (known as Canocchie in Italy)
Where to Find Mantis Shrimp
Finding these guys might be tricky, but here’s where to look:
- Asian seafood markets
- Specialty fish markets
- Mediterranean seafood shops
- Some high-end grocery stores
Health Benefits and Nutritional Value
Like most seafood, mantis shrimp is:
- High in protein
- Low in fat
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids
- Good source of minerals
My Favorite Ways to Enjoy Mantis Shrimp
-
Simple Boiled
- Just boil and enjoy the pure, sweet taste
- Perfect for first-timers
-
Risotto Style
- Use the shells for broth
- Add the meat at the end
- Creates an amazing seafood flavor bomb!
-
Mediterranean Style
- Grilled with olive oil
- Sprinkled with lemon juice
- Garnished with fresh herbs
Storing and Handling Tips
- Best eaten fresh
- Keep alive until cooking
- Store in fridge if needed
- Don’t freeze if possible
Cost and Value
These special crustaceans might cost ya more than regular shrimp, but trust me – they’re worth every penny! The unique taste and texture make them a real treat for special occasions.
Final Thoughts
Listen up, fellow foodies! If you’re looking to expand your seafood horizons, mantis shrimp is def worth trying. It’s like nature’s perfect combo of lobster and shrimp, but with its own unique twist. The super sweet meat and tender texture make it a standout choice for any seafood lover.
Remember, don’t let their fierce appearance scare you off – these little guys are all bark and no bite (once they’re cooked, that is! ). Whether you’re a seasoned chef or just starting your seafood journey, mantis shrimp offers an unforgettable dining experience.
So next time you spot these fascinating creatures at your local fish market, don’t hesitate to grab some. Your taste buds will thank you, and you’ll have an awesome story to tell about the time you tried the “lobster of the shrimp world”!
Would you like me to explain or break down any part of this article further? I’d love to hear about your experiences with mantis shrimp too! Drop a comment below and let’s chat about these amazing creatures!
“It was, by far, the most delicious of the squirmy creatures I’ve encountered at the markets here.”
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I wake up early in the morning and walk to the markets in Flushing to see whats fresh each day. The choices are constantly changing, especially at the fruit stands and the fishmongers. As the weather cools down the abundance of lychees and longans give way to persimmons and pomelos; wooden baskets brimming with blue claw crabs are kept by the fish tanks. This morning, I saw soft shell crabs stacked neatly in a shallow cardboard box; next to it there was a bin full of less-familiar beauties: large, live, flailing and squirming prawn-like creatures.
I lowered my head down to get a whiff of that sweet, oceanic smell and instead suffered a slap on the face from one of the prawns, its propeller-like tail curling upwards in shrimpy indignation. That settled matters; a few minutes later I walked back to my apartment with a pound of the jumping specimens in my shopping bag.
The fish department is the only place in a market where youre likely to find strange animals that are still alive. Things at the meat counter have already bit the dust, and even when you do find a more interesting animal offering, such as the frozen armadillo I once came across next to a box of pig ears, who really has the time to wait for an armadillo to defrost? Strange creatures at the fishmongers, on the other hand, are just begging to be eaten: there are gorgeous bivalves in an array of colors and sizes, hairy crabs, tiny Long Island crabs, spotted frogs, and razor clams the length and width of a medium-sized carrot. I could eat a different strange animal every week from the fishmongers, and still not exhaust all my options.
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Shrimp, prawn, or neither? The differences are sometimes minute: both shrimp and prawns are delicious; both taste, uh, shrimp-like. According to Wikipedia, prawns have “sequentially overlapping body segments”—that is to say, segment one covers segment two, segment two covers segment three, and so forth. In shrimp, on the other hand, segment two covers both segments one and three. I checked the carapace of my dinner and found that the body segments were indeed sequentially overlapping. And yet, the squareness of their heads suggested that they were neither shrimp nor prawns, but another type of crustacean altogether.
In fact, they were mantis shrimp, a marine crustacean named for its resemblance to the praying mantis. Mantis shrimp show up as a sushi topping, are boiled whole, and eaten out of the shell, and appear in various Mediterranean cuisines (in Italy, they are Canocchie).
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“The meat was intensely sweet, like lobster”
I tossed a couple of the suckers into a pot of boiling water. Though tempted to eat the whole pound straight out the pot, I made use of the majority of the lightly boiled meat for a risotto-inspired rice dish, using the shells to make a quick broth in which to simmer my grains of rice. The meat was intensely sweet, like lobster, only even more tender than the tenderest of tiny chicken lobsters. It was, by far, the most delicious of the squirmy creatures Ive encountered at the Flushing markets.
If you can get your hands on some mantis shrimp, treat them as you would prawns, shrimp, langoustines, and so forth: use in bouillabaisse, risotto, pasta, and paella. Or, just boil and enjoy.
First Time Trying: Mantis Shrimp
FAQ
Can a mantis shrimp break bullet proof glass?
Yes, according to “nationalgeographic.com”, it stated”The club of a mantis shrimp can easily break quarter-inch glass, and the shell of a crab.
Can I legally own a mantis shrimp?
Answer: There are no specific regulations for these crustaceans, but they are protected by the general sport fishing regulations for all invertebrates and crustaceans (CCR Title 14, sections 29.05 and 29.80, respectively). Invertebrates may not be taken by hook and line.
Does a mantis shrimp punch boils water?
Yes, a mantis shrimp’s punch is so powerful and fast that it can boil the water around it. This is due to a process called cavitation, where the shrimp’s powerful strike creates a low-pressure zone, causing vapor bubbles to form and quickly collapse.