Aramcons Remember the Shrimp Man
- Lifestyles
- Special Interest
Author: Kara Swayne - Aramco ExPats
Released 7 November 2006
Shrimp Man with Brad Swayne (age 3)
Abqaiq 1976
Photograph by Aramco ExPats
In Saudi Arabia you may not have had a milk man but you did have the Shrimp Man, the always smiling, friendly Arab who would go door to door in the Aramco camps selling fresh jumbo Gulf shrimp to Aramcons from the back of his mini Toyota pick-up. If you hadn't known fresh seafood back home, no shrimp could compare to the freshly caught jumbo Gulf shrimp you had access to once a week.
Arabian Gulf Fresh Shrimp
Photograph by Aramco ExPats
You'd buy all you could eat and the Shrimp Man would clean the shrimp for you right there on the spot. If you liked shrimp, you were in shrimp heaven. In fact, the dining hall dedicated an entire evening to shrimp - Wednesday Night Shrimp Night. Wonderful Aramcon recipes including new inspirations made shrimp a popular food. Here are a few of our favorites:
Pickled Shrimp
2 pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
In the hot olive oil in large pot, sauté garlic cloves and onions for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add shrimp and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, cool 15 minutes.
Pickling Liquid:
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive or salad oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 Jalapeno peppers
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Add shrimp-onion mixture, pushing shrimp well down into liquid. Refrigerate for 24 hours, basting several times. Serve icy cold with cocktail picks. Yield: Approximately 40. Source: The Abqaiq Cook Book - 1973 contributed by Brigitta Hoss.
Baked Buttered Shrimp
2 cloves garlic
1 cup butter
1 cup packaged bread crumbs
1 tbsp. minced onion
1 tbsp. minced parsely
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1/4 tsp. basil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Sherry - substitute orange or pineapple juices
3 lbs. cleaned, cooked shrimp
Finely chop garlic or put through garlic press. Melt butter with garlic. Add to the skillet all ingredients through Sherry. Blend, adding more butter if necessary to make a crumbly sauce. Put half of sauce in baking dish, top with shrimp, and cover with remaining sauce. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Serves 8. You can also bake shrimp in individual scallop shells or dishes as a first course. Source: Recipes from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 1966 - 1972 contributed by Nancy Ackerman.
Shrimp Mediterranean
10 sun dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
12 ozs. crumbled Feta, plain or with tomatoes and herbs
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, cleaned
1/4 cup chopped fresh parley
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe baking dish. Cover the dish and microwave on high for two minutes. Stir well. Microwave for another three minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are just done. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a baking dish, cover, bake at 375 F until shrimp turn pink and are just done, about 30 minutes. Source: Cooking With Vic, published in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Limited copies are available by e-mailing Victor Friedmann at vic.tj.friedmann@att.net.
Shrimp Creole
2 tbsps. butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
½ cup green pepper, chopped fine
½ cup celery, chopped fine
1 can (16 oz.) tomato puree
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
½ tsp. garlic salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. basil
¼ tsp. oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsps. Worcestershire
1 tbsps. Sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. minced raw shrimp
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 cups cooked rice with saffron
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet. Add onions and cook until transparent. Add green peppers and celery. Add all remaining ingredients except shrimp, cheese and rice. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add shrimp and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until shrimp are done. Add grated cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve over hot rice. Yield: 8-10 servings. Source: The Abqaiq Cookbook - 1973 contributed by John Fermendzin.