After reading Larry Olmsted’s Real Food Fake Food (affiliate link) book it’s rare I will purchase shrimp these days, fresh or frozen. Olmstead writes on how a modern day slave trade is in effect supported by a great deal of shrimp fishing, it’s a fairly shocking tale I confess to not knowing about until reading the book. Ever since, I’ve looked at cheap shrimp with borderline horror.
The only time I’ll purchase shrimp is when I’m fairly sure of the sourcing. Be that fresh gulf prawns or something like this from the Whole Foods imprint brand, Whole Catch. Naturally this doesn’t come as cheaply as some less than salubrious sourced shrimp. A box of these Whole Catch breaded shrimp costs $9.99 (as of May 2019).
Inside the main cardboard packaging is this non re-sealable plastic bag, containing about 26 or so shrimp. There’s enough for about three portions or so, which means the shrimp works out to $3.33 or so per serving which isn’t really that bad at all.
Cooking is simple: deep fry or bake, just don’t microwave. I opted to use the baking method. Annoyingly I forgot to turn the shrimp half way through – the result was a crisp shrimp breading on top, mushy underneath. If you do bake these, dont forget to flip! I’m also going to give these a spin in the air fryer next time.
Taste wise, the breading and seasoning pack a BIG punch. There’s lots of black pepper and zesty lemon here. Plan your meal with this in mind, they deliver a very prominent taste that might dominate an otherwise milder plate of food.
We made a couple of dishes with these shrimp that you can see below: both served with slaw, sriracha mayo and Alexia sweet potato fries. One with bun, one without.
Whole Catch Shrimp Poppers cooking instructions, nutrition
Other Whole Catch products
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!