The Asian tiger prawn, a foot-long crustacean with a voracious appetite and a proclivity for disease, has invaded the northern Gulf, threatening prized native species, from crabs and oysters to smaller brown and white*shrimp.
Though no one is sure what the ecological impact will be, scientists fear a tiger prawn takeover could knock nature's balance out of whack and turn a healthy, diverse marine habitat into one dominated by a single invasive*species.
'It has the potential to be real ugly,' said Leslie Hartman, Matagorda Bay ecoystem leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 'But we just do not know.'
Oh, I know, Leslie Hartman. It has the potential to be real ugly. On my grill! Bring it. My propane bottles are full and my grill is ready.
This ought to be good for maybe two of them:
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 1/2 tsp fresh minced garlic
1 tsp Worcester
2 Tblsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup of my Porter (sub Abita Turbodog, Negro Modello, or other brown beer)
Clean and devein giant tiger prawn. Marinate for 30 mins in the above seasoning mix and grill over medium heat. Serve immediately w/ steamed rice, French bread, & a fresh dark beer.
You can also do this New Orleans/Prudhomme/Pascal's Manale style by leaving the shell on, butterflying tiger prawn, and combining the seasoning mix minus the beer in a skillet with a melted stick of butter. Add shrimp and cook until prawn is opaque (3-5 mins). Add beer, cook for a minute, and then off the heat, and wisk another ~2-5 tblspn of butter into the mix (like a beur blanc sauce). Serve immediately over steamed rice w/French bread and a fresh beer.