SeaPak Butterfly Shrimp

There are several different seafood products on the market. You are probably all familiar with the national name brands that are out there - there are maybe three or four at most.

Most grocery chains have their own generic type production. There are also various higher end packaged samples that are produced locally. Sometimes those are as good as the better known samples you can find anywhere. Often they are better and cheaper.

However, I think Sea Pak can be found in most places and while this article will be more of a review than a comparison, I think this company's shrimp, is much preferable to those of its competitors.

You may disagree and I welcome your suggestions at the end.

I do hope to do a comparison of Sea Pak, Gortons, Mrs. Paul's and some of the other local ones out there, but then again, that is a lot of shrimp.

Well when I hear the phrase "restaurant quality" I guess they are saying their food is good enough to serve in a any restaurant. Usually the more expensive ones. That might not be saying much at all however, given that sometimes restaurant food seems to sacrifice quality (as well as quantity) for profit.

However, it is a catch phrase and on the flip side, it could probably be defined as being good enough for your run of the mil restaurateur to have faith in it.

The way I would define restaurant quality in the context of the shrimp presented, is that the portion sizes are what you would expect when you purchase butterfly shrimp with that prime rib dinner.

The food is whole too, not minced as some seafood is. Many times when you buy frozen seafood you get portions, not whole pieces.

Well, I would first like to let you know that in my rating, I cooked my batch in an oven - a toaster oven to be exact.

I much prefer fried food - and of course I think most people do.

When you get them from the restaurant, they are usually deep fried. That makes them crisper and for some reason when a professional cook prepares them, they just taste better. I think the hot oils create a crust that seals in the moisture and helps the inner part retain its flavor.

I bake mine at about 350 - sometimes 400 degrees - and glaze them with cooking spray. Sometimes I'll add a little bit of oil on the top so they taste like they've been fried. Even though the package says 6 minutes each side, I do about 10 or 12 and they come out fine.

Even baked, the shrimp manages to come out crispy.

They make a really good snack as well and are cooked up in the oven really quick.

I would recommend this product for anyone who likes shrimp. You can taste a bit of the preservatives in it - but that's true with most foods. It's not quite as good as at the Sizler or Red Lobster, but at about 8 or 9 dollars for about five times the shrimp you would get eating out, it's certainly a deal.

Yes there certainly are healthier choices out there, but these shrimp make a great snack. And if you have a side of rice and veggies, you've got a well rounded meal.

I've listed some suggestions - and perhaps will publish some recipes - using these.

If you have any yourself, please feel free to share.