A Shrimp Lunch

The first picture in this series really should be of the wriggling tub of shrimp at the wet market where we bought these beauties, but I didn't have my camera along. The sidewalk vendor scooped out a handful of live shrimp and tossed into a plastic grocery bag. When we got them home twenty minutes later and dumped them in the sink, most of them were still alive. Caleb and Seth were thrilled... you would have thought they were catching crayfish in the creek rather than playing with shrimp in the sink.
Did you know live shrimp looked like this? I didn't!
Look at the long claw on this guy!
After playing with the shrimp, the next step was to cut the legs, noses and tails off the still alive shrimp with the kitchen scissors. The boys joined right in this activity, and I left the kitchen!

Next stop, frying pan! Caleb and Seth were amazed to see the shrimp turn pink as soon as they hit the hot oil in the pan. After a few minutes in the skillet under Mrs. Shu's expert hand, sauteed with soy sauce, fresh ginger, spring onions, salt, pepper, sugar and salt...
Wa-lah! Look at this yummy lunch! Seth, the shrimp lover, was very satisfied. I was slightly daunted by the fact that the little black eyes were still visible, but after I got into the swing of peeling away and breaking off inedible parts, I too found the shrimp very yummy.

Only Madelyn refused to try any. I guess having the creature that will soon become your meal held squirming and dripping in your face by your older brothers, with its claws, feelers and legs all over the place is enough to turn a girl off.