Why I Don’t Eat Shrimp

A couple of years ago, I read an expose in Gourmet on the shrimp-farming industry. What I read about the pollution and environmental destruction caused by shrimp farming, particularly in Asia, and the chemicals that pollute the shrimp caused me to give up eating shrimp almost completely. I had suspected that over the years shrimp had become less tasty, more mushy and more redolent of chemicals. This article just confirmed my suspicions.

My husband has developed a severe reaction to shrimp — only shrimp, not crab or other shellfish. When he was tested, though, he didn’t have a true shellfish allergy. I suspect his sensitivity is to the polluting chemicals found in farmed shrimp now, rather than the shrimp itself.

I will occasionally eat wild-caught Carolina shrimp, if I am in a trustworthy restaurant that labels their shrimp as such. The taste difference is unmistakable. However, there are still problems with wild-caught shrimp, in that trawling destroys the sea floor environment, so I’m considering cutting out even my occasional indulgences.

This article in Alternet has a lot of good information on current shrimp farming and fishing practices, and why shrimp is such a harmful seafood, for you and the environment: Shrimp’s Dirty Secrets: Why America’s Favorite Seafood Is a Health and Environmental Nightmare.

A Buying Guide for Seafood That’s Safe for You & the Environment

It is not easy eating seafood these days. There are a number of health concerns, mercury being the number-one issue that has been in the news lately. Beyond that, you also have to worry about PCBs, pollutants and chemicals in your seafood. And if you care at all about the environment, there are a host of other worries: overfished species; fishing practices that harm other marine life; and pollution associated with fish farming. It’s enough to make you order a grass-fed, humanely slaughtered steak or organic, free-range chicken breast instead.

Still, I like seafood, and I want to keep on eating it. But I don’t want to carry a book with me every time I go to the grocery store or restaurant just so I know what fish is best to buy. There are no straightforward rules. Sometimes it’s best to choose wild, and sometimes you should choose farmed. Sometimes Atlantic species are out, but Pacific are OK. U.S. farms are often better than international sources, but not always, and the store often doesn’t tell you where the seafood is from, anyway. To make it more confusing, some species are regularly labeled as another type of fish; for instance rockfish might be sold as red snapper or sea bass.

To help cut through the confusion and make fish-buying simple, I have created a very short list of fish that I know is OK and that I want to keep on eating. If it’s not on my list, I don’t get it. This may prevent me from eating a lot of fish that is just fine, but it also keeps me from going crazy and giving up seafood altogether.

Here is my short list of “good” seafood (based on information from Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch):

• clams and mussels — Farmed is the best choice (and usually the only choice).
• crab – Dungeness and stone are the best choices, but crab is so expensive that it is an occasional treat anyway.
• farmed Arctic char – The taste reminds me of salmon, but it’s often hard to find in the store.
• farmed U.S. catfish — Surprisingly clean, this is a good choice for fish fries.
• farmed rainbow trout — Another good fillet option, if you can find it in the store.
• Pacific cod — A good all-purpose fish; note that Atlantic cod is a no-no.
• Alaskan wild salmon — Avoid farmed and Atlantic salmon.
• U.S. yellowfin (ahi) tuna sparingly – Yes, tuna has mercury, but this is the best choice, and I love tuna, so I eat it only once in a while.
• canned light tuna, also sparingly — Because I still need an occasional tuna fish sandwich.

Remember, when you buy fish, keep it on ice for no more than one day or buy it frozen. Fish that has been flash-frozen at sea is often fresher than fresh fish, which has likely been frozen and then thawed.

Fish I no longer buy

• halibut, mackerel, mahi mahi, shark and swordfish – Even though some species may be safe, I eliminated all of these due to mercury or PCB content.
• flounder and sole – These contain PCBs, are overfished, and the fishing practices damage the habitat.
• grouper, rockfish, sea bass and snapper — Some choices are fine, but many are severely overfished and may contain pollutants; since these species are often mislabeled, it’s hard to know what you’re getting, so I avoid them all.
• monkfish – Also overfished and harmful fishing practices.
• tilapia – A good choice, actually, but I don’t like the muddy, bland taste; also, you need to be sure of your sources and avoid tilapia farmed in China or Taiwan.

My general rule is: If it’s not on my short list, I don’t buy it.

What about shrimp?

I love shrimp, although I rarely buy it anyway, since my husband is allergic. Then I read an article in Gourmet that completely put me off eating shrimp. The shrimp that comes from international farmed sources — in other words, most shrimp — is highly polluted and full of chemicals that are banned in the U.S. Sometimes I wonder if my husband isn’t allergic to the shrimp, just highly susceptible to the chemicals in them. Also, I’ve noticed more and more that shrimp tastes muddy, mushy and just plain bad, which I also attribute to the pollution.

However, I will order shrimp in a restaurant if it is clearly labeled as wild-caught Carolina shrimp or U.S. farmed shrimp (primarily from Florida). U.S. lobster is generally fine, as well.

What about scallops?

Some scallops are OK, some are not. I don’t want to keep track of which is which, and I’m not a huge fan anyway. I might order them in a really nice restaurant where I trust the chef to source them appropriately. The other reason I don’t buy scallops is that they are often treated with chemical phosphate to extend their shelf life and make them look better, which I think affects their taste and texture, and not in a good way.

What about oysters?

To tell you the truth, I don’t prepare oysters much at home. Oysters are something I’d much rather eat from a good restaurant that knows how to treat them right. Many farmed oysters are good choices, but again, it’s too much trouble for me to remember which ones are the best, since I hardly ever buy them. Wild oysters may contain PCBs but are OK to eat occasionally.

How to Make the Perfect Stir-Fry

The secrets to a successful stir-fry are organization and preparation, which are also the keys to accomplishing pretty much any complex task. Cooking is a small mirror held up to life (profound, huh?). If you can pull off a good stir-fry, you can probably successfully manage three complex software development projects with deliverables expected in late December, or the equivalent. We’ll see.

Before you even start cooking, you’ll want to get yourself and all of your ingredients organized. When the cooking starts, it goes fast, so you’ll need to have everything ready and at hand. The first thing I do is cook the starch, either rice or noodles, such as Chinese ramen-style noodles or angel hair pasta. The rice will steam and then stay warm while I’m preparing the stir-fry. The noodles will be done fast and then can sit in their pot until I’m ready to mix them in and reheat them.

Second, prepare the protein. I usually use boneless chicken breast for this dish, but turkey, pork, shrimp, scallops, fish or tofu should also work just fine. For 2 people, I use about ¼ pound of protein. Remember, traditional stir-fries are skimpy on the meat and generous with the vegetables. Cube the meat and let sit in a mixture of 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sherry and ¼ cup water while you prepare the vegetables.

Choose 2-3 vegetables for the dish, enough to make ½ pound. Keeping it simple keeps both you and the stir-fry from getting overwhelmed. Dice or slice each vegetable into as nearly uniform pieces as you can make them. Arrange the cut vegetables in bowls in order of their cooking time, with the longest cooking vegetables first:

1. Mushrooms: 5-10 minutes, depending on type and thickness
2. Cabbage, spinach, other greens: 4-6 minutes
3. Asparagus, broccoli, carrots, green beans: 3-5 minutes
4. Peppers, snow peas, sugar snap peas, summer squash, zucchini: 2-3 minutes
5. Bean sprouts: less than 1 minute

These are just suggestions. You may want to try other vegetables.

In addition, mince 2 garlic cloves and ½ tbsp. ginger root, and place them in line behind all the vegetables.

Next, prepare the sauce. My base stir-fry sauce is a mixture of ¼ cup chicken stock, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. cornstarch and 1 tbsp. flavoring, such as a bottled Asian sauce, sake or rice wine, or fermented black beans soaked in sherry. Feel free to experiment. I give a suggested variation at the end of this post.

Finally, get your garnishes together. Chopped nuts, sliced scallions, raw bean sprouts and minced fresh herbs all make good garnishes.

The last step is to prepare a coating for the protein for cooking it. Drain away the marinade and toss the chicken (or whatever you’re using) in a mixture of ½ tbsp. sesame oil, 1 tsp. cornstarch and 1 tsp. flour.

Now you’re ready to assemble the stir-fry:

1. Heat 1 tbsp. peanut oil in a nonstick skillet over high until shimmering
2. Add the protein in a single layer and cook without disturbing until browned
3. Flip each piece and brown the other side in the same manner
4. Remove the cooked protein to a plate
5. If needed, add another ½ tbsp. peanut oil to the pan
6. Add the vegetables in order of their cooking times and stir-fry, keeping the food moving constantly, until tender
7. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry 30 seconds
8. Reduce the heat to medium
9. Return to the protein to the pan and mix in the sauce
10. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens
11. If using noodles, stir them in and heat through
12. Remove from heat, garnish and serve

Sweet Chili-Garlic Stir-Fry Sauce

Serves: 2

Mix together:

• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. honey
• ½ tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1-2 tsp. chili sauce, depending on taste
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. cornstarch