Good Eats for the Florida Beach

Good Eats for the Florida Beach

As I was scraping the ice off my windshield this morning, I found it hard to believe that just a few days ago I was in the above scene, strolling along a beach and taking a dip in the ocean waters.  For the holidays, I returned to my native state of Florida and visited my folks.  I especially miss “home” during these winter months, but I must admit Florida is a somewhat odd (yet wonderful!) place.  It has a mood and identity all its own.  It’s in the south but not quite Southern in culture.  It’s packed with retirees, snowbirds, and partying Spring Breakers. As Jimmy Buffet lyrically said, it’s a place where you waste away and search for your lost shaker of salt. And it’s a place that has its own distinctive cuisine.

I know that California and Texas get most of the press when it comes to unique states with their own delicious food tradition—but let’s give Florida its due, shall we?  Here are some quintessential Florida dishes to try: beer-boiled shrimp, conch chowder, conch fritters, and of course, key lime pie. Funnily enough, my favorite dish that I consider “so Florida” comes from a French chef.  I’ve been cooking out of Pierre Franey’s 60-Minute Gourmet since I was a teenager, and I find it to be one of the most delicious and reliable cookbooks ever.  I make his Shrimp Scampi w/ Baked Rice every time I visit Florida.  It’s kind of my “So glad to be back in Florida” signature meal.  To make it in my Pennsylvania kitchen would somehow seem out of place.  But feel free to try it out wherever you live—and raise a Margarita to my home state!

Happy Shrimp Making,

Jennifer

This recipe is adapted from More 60-Minute Gourmet (published by Ballantine in 1986).  

For the shrimp: 

1.       Get 2 pounds of fresh or frozen jumbo shrimp.  If frozen, thaw in a bowl of cool water.  Devein and take off their tails. 

2.       In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, along with some garlic, red pepper, oregano, salt, and parsley.  Dump the shrimp in the bowl and with your very clean hands, combine to make sure every shrimp is covered with the sauce.

3.       Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Arrange shrimp on the sheet, and stick under the broiler for just 5 minutes.  Shrimp can overcook in a blink of an eye, so watch them.  After 5 minutes, you may want to flip the shrimp and give them another minute or two under the broiler.  But take out as soon as they turn pink!  Serve atop the special baked rice, below.  If you like, you can also sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese .

Baked rice:

I know, it sounds weird to put your pot of rice in the oven.  But trust me—you’ll love this.

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.        On stovetop, melt a few tablespoons of butter in a pot, then add some chopped onion.  Let cook until slightly wilted. Add cup of white rice and stir, then add 2 cups of water.  Add some thyme, some salt, and a shake of Tabasco sauce.  Let it come to a boil, and as soon as it does, put the lid on the pot and put in the oven for exactly 17 minutes.

3.       Take out of oven and fluff.  Voila!