Seafood 101 with Locals Seafood: Shrimp

brought to you* by our friends at

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While Locals Seafood can’t guarantee the soft sound of seagulls cawing in the distance as you dine on a shady deck with a light northeast breeze blowing, they can promise fresh, locally-caught seafood, straight from the fisherman's boat, within arm’s reach of those of us who live in the Triangle. Since 2010, they’ve been making trips up and down North Carolina’s pristine coast to bring home the finest seafood our waters have to offer.  It's as close as you'll get to catching the fish yourself. And, chefs like Ashley Christensen, Andrea Reusing and Ricky Moore agree — Locals supplies many of the tastiest restaurants in the Triangle.

This month, we’ve all teamed up bring you a recipe series using their fine seafood. We’re going to run the gamut of species here, so hold on tight and get ready to do some cooking of your own. All of these recipes are simple and easy — even for the novice cook who doesn’t have much experience with seafood — and we want to see what you're trying at home, so make sure to share your dishes on social media under the hashtag #BandGLocalsSeafood!

To purchase seafood from Locals, catch them at:
Raleigh State Farmers Market (at their booth inside, Thursday-Saturday, 10am-4pm;  Sunday, 11am-3pm)
Western Wake Farmers Market (Saturday, 8am-12pm)
Chapel Hill Farmers Market (Saturday, 8am-12pm)

Follow their tips for how to care for your seafood after you purchase it.

Be the first to know about Locals Seafood's catches-of-the-day by following them on

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FISHERMAN & LOCATION:

Captain Gary Galloway, F/V Old Baldy out of the Cape Fear region

FLAVOR PROFILE:

Subtle, sweet, firm with a very clean taste. Any easy entry point into seafood for even the pickiest eaters!

SEASONALITY:

Our waters have three prominent species of shrimp: brown, white and pink. Pink shrimp come the earliest of the three, typically caught in late spring and early summer, however their volume is significantly less than browns (July - September) and whites (September - November).  NC shrimpers have had some unusual luck this year — they've landed white shrimp early on in the season right off the beach in some cases — so we were able to work with fresh shrimp for this recipe. If Locals Seafood doesn't have fresh shrimp on hand — don't fear — they stock individually quick-frozen (IQF) shrimp on hand year-round. The IQF flash-freezing process guarantees shrimp will taste just like the day they were caught by preserving their moisture, texture, and preventing cellular breakdown. 

FUN FACT:

Shrimp is the most popular type of seafood eaten in the United States, but until the 1900s, it was considered inedible and deemed a "trash fish," only suitable for the poor.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds of fresh shrimp** (16/20 count)***
Old Bay seasoning
3-4 whole lemons
1 pound of butter

**Don't be afraid of shrimp with heads on them — that means they're as fresh as you can get them! Cook them with the heads on for added flavor, and pop them off while you peel & eat your shrimp. 

***Shrimp are sold by the pound, and 16/20 count just means that there are about 16 to 20 headless shrimp in each pound. These guys are nice and fat! If you can't get your hands on 16/20, any medium to large shrimp will do.

RECIPE:

Serves 4 people.

Preheat oven to 350°. Wash your shrimp, leaving the peels on. Slice lemons and butter thinly. Wrap a baking sheet in tin foil for easy clean-up. Layer shrimp, butter and lemons on the baking sheet. Dot with dollops of Old Bay seasoning.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until shrimp turn light pink. Start checking the shrimp at the 15 minute mark to ensure you don't overcook them.

Serve family style with toasted french bread to sop up the delicious juice.

Yep, it's that easy!

*Though this is a paid advertisement, Bit & Grain selectively partners with folks whose missions we believe in. All thoughts & opinions are our own.