Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5 and goes through April 17, 2025. (Easter is April 20, 2025) Some Christians fast from meat voluntarily on Fridays during Lent. I blog fish at that time as a spiritual discipline and learning opportunity, though I could also include vegetarian dishes, if I chose–and I might! This year I celebrate 10 years of FRIDAY FISH on More Time at the Table. Up your fish game with me for the next few weeks! Glad to have you on board.

Jump to Recipe

At our house, Friday night is date night. I realize that for other folks, this means running out to a restaurant, movie, concert, or maybe even ordering in a sweet meal to share in front of the fireplace. For best sous and husband Dave and me, it’s a thoughtful meal cooked right here in our own kitchen and served in a quiet dining room complete with paired wine, candles, music, comfy clothes, no phones and also… our own private restroom just across the hall–wink, wink. We rarely eat dinner in a restaurant unless traveling, and, if we do, it’s not during crowded weekend nights. Do I choose arduous recipes? Not typically but our dinners often– though not always– feature 3 or 4 painless courses, red meat, and an entire evening devoted to one another.

If I’ve presence of mind enough, I might say on Thursday, “Any requests for Friday night?” Dave usually leaves it up to me (he chooses wines, btw) but last week he said, “What about shrimp? Or maybe steak?” With that disparate mix in mind, I thawed shrimp for an appetizer and two hefty filets leftover from a birthday meal last October. When Friday rolled around, instead of old school shrimp cocktail, which was my first thought, I threw together a simple grilled shrimp and arugula salad that still included our favorite shrimp cocktail sauce — a spiced up Louie — as a dressing. Because I had olives out from a Friday afternoon glass of wine with good friend, Patti, I chopped those up and skinny-sliced a red onion. (If your onion is too hot, soak it in water or vinegar for 8-10 minutes before draining, patting dry and adding to salad.) This could be sounding vaguely like a Shrimp Louie salad to you aficionados –and you’d be right–but I made it out of what was on hand skipping the usual suspects of romaine, tomatoes, hard-cooked eggs, and avocado. Without the weightier ingredients and just a few shrimp, our salad was more first course-style than a typical main course Louie, which can feel something like a Cobb in size and heft. “Louis,” by the way, is right, too, but however you’d like to spell it, it’s pronounced LOO-ee. Turned out light, elegant (Dave’s word), pleasing, along with sooo appetizing. In other words, we didn’t spoil our dinner. From whence came Shrimp Louie?

There’s a lively regional debate over the origins of crab (and shrimp) Louie, or Louis. In Washington State, it’s often attributed to Spokane hotel owner Louis Davenport. In California, it’s considered native to San Francisco, where it’s said to have been named in tribute to a popular chef named Louis Coutard after his death. Either way, early Louie recipes in both cities predate the First World War. ~TASTE OF HOME

Over a long span of years, local and/or visiting friends and I have occasionally celebrated birthdays, etc., on the lavish side by lunching at La Taverne in the Broadmoor Hotel here on the south end of Colorado Springs. Because their menu is traditional and classic, there has nearly always been a Shrimp Louie or Crab Louie salad included. A glass of Chardonnay each and a dessert shared four-ways made the meal accessible. And while the price has gone up and the salads have shrunk like most other things, I’m still liable to order it for old times’ sake. Here at home, I can arrange the dish just as I’d like, adding or subtracting any ingredient, including shrimp, to my heart’s content– while also saving lots of cash.

In doing a little background checking on Shrimp or Crab Louie, I discovered it has long been a favorite Christmas Eve main dish for those fasting from meat until the feast on the 25th. Ah; fast and feast are just one letter but a whole universe apart.

TIPS FOR BUYING SHRIMP: Unless you live on the Gulf coast, for example, the shrimp in your grocery’s “fresh” fish case are previously frozen. Go ahead and buy frozen shrimp in the bag; they’ll be fresher! You’ll also have quick-thawing protein for a fast meal anytime. If tight for time, you might buy cooked shrimp. Home-cooked shrimp, though, always taste better–since you’re seasoning them as they cook– and are done before you can change your mind. I like tail on, peeled, deveined shrimp. You can take the tail off before cooking if you’d like but #1. the shrimp taste better with it and #2. there’s good meat in that tail.

Here are two easy ways to cook shrimp that don’t involve bringing a pot of water to boil:

COOK SHRIMP IN SKILLET OR ON STOVETOP GRILL: Thaw shrimp according to package directions if frozen. To cook stove top: Toss in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil, a generous pinch each kosher salt/fresh ground pepper, and a tiny pinch crushed red pepper. Cook over medium-high heat in skillet or grill until just pink on one side and then, after turning, barely pink on the other. Not sure if they’re done? Cut one in half to check. Goal: To not overcook. Shrimp are done when they’ve curved into a “C” shape and are pearly pink and opaque; tails are red. Can be made a day ahead and stored, well-covered, in the fridge. TIP: You can definitely cook frozen shrimp in a skillet but will need to tip out the excess water from the pan midway through cooking. (Or–just leave the shrimp in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes or so. Drain and pat dry before seasoning and cooking.) Scroll down just a bit to read all about cooking frozen shrimp.

AIR FRY THE SHRIMP: Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Spray fryer pan with cooking spray. Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with a light drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch each salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Using tongs, add seasoned shrimp to the sprayed, hot air fryer pan in an even layer. Cook for 3 minutes or until shrimp are barely firm and just pink. If not done at 3 minutes, turn shrimp over and cook another minute, checking again. Remove shrimp to a bowl. Sprinkle with another pinch each salt and pepper; stir. (Can be made a day or two ahead and stored well-covered in the fridge. Cooked shrimp will keep 3-4 days in the fridge if you’d like to make extra.

How to Cook Frozen Shrimp (Broiler, Air Fryer, Stove Top)/Taste of Home

CHANGE IT UP: Vegetarian version? Nix the shrimp; add tomatoes, avocado, hard-cooked eggs, marinated artichokes, hearts of palm, etc. Use salmon? If you’ve some leftover cooked or smoked salmon, chop it up and toss it over the greens in place of the shrimp. Use canned tuna ? Simple and cheap. Add good quality chunks of tuna to the greens in place of the shrimp. Crab? Some folks only eat this dish with crab. Add good quality chunks of crab to the greens in place of the shrimp. Old Bay Seasoning? If you’re a lover of this popular seasoning, use a generous sprinkling instead of salt and pepper and crushed red pepper to season your shrimp. Need to seriously dump fat calories? Use Hellman’s Light Mayonnaise in place of regular mayo for the dressing. You might not taste the difference but you’ll lower your calorie total.

MAKE AHEAD: Make the salads an hour or so ahead without the dressing and store in the fridge. When ready to serve, drizzle with dressing and serve cold immediately.

WINE: I’m overly partial to Oregon wines, so an Oregon Pinot Gris is my choice here.

---

Crab Louie Recipe/Food and Wine

History of Crab Louie/What’s Cooking, America?

Shaving Parmesan

The Real Story Behind Fish Fridays: Lust, Lies,…./NPR

What is Lent? (UMC)

---

IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE MY:

There are dozen and dozens of fish and seafood recipes on the blog. You can go to the word cloud and click on FRIDAY FISH or on FISH AND SEAFOOD or even on SHRIMP, CRAB, and so on. You can also type into the search box a specific fish name such as Salmon. If you do, be prepared for a slew of choices.

---

WHAT ELSE ARE YOU COOKING THIS WEEK? Turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving:

Tired of chicken? Here’s something I just made: FRESH HERBED-BUTTER TURKEY BREAST. Trader Joe’s sells a fresh, Kosher half-turkey breast (Empire brand) for $12-$14. I mashed 4 tablespoons soft butter, a minced garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and a couple tablespoons of fresh herbs (I used sage and parsley.) together and stuffed that under the skin. Salted and peppered the whole thing and roasted it with olive oil-tossed red onion cut into eighths at 325 F for about 45 min. when an instant read thermometer registered 165F. Covered and rested 15 min before slicing. Lovely with a salad or sweet potatoes or… Leftovers for turkey tacos with blue cheese, turkey-noodle soup or, of course, the quintessential turkey sandwiches! Bad photo. Good food. (Why buy kosher if you’re not a Jew? Kosher poultry is humanely raised and of excellent quality. No hormones, artificial ingredients, etc. For me, it’s the fresh label that does it. My regular grocery typically sells only frozen whole turkey breasts.)

---

LIFE GOES ON:

above: my front yard two days ago

At this time of year in the Front Range of the Rockies, winter and spring take turns. One day it’s dumping snow and the next we’re seeing what appears to be a teensy bit of green in the grass. While a robin was sighted out front last week, she hasn’t since returned. Soon, I think.

above: Rosie watching the hungry does decimate our junipers

It’s hard to believe it’s again time for Friday Fish but here we are together again. It’s a fun part of the year for me and feels innovative and freeing no matter how many times I do it. I’m just about to hop on a plane to London and then catch a train a few days later to Edinburgh for my niece Gina’s wedding. Arriving back in Colorado, I’m scheduled to teach a charcuterie class. I might be a bit late for our second fish fry but I’ll get to it as soon as I can. Promise! Thanks for being right here in my kitchen with me. I appreciate you and hope you’re thawing some shrimp as we speak.

Friends, life is so confusing about now and my mantra remains: Right will out. That’s what history and faith proves. In the meantime, breathe with me and be the good in the world, in your own world. It’s all we can do and be. Pick a few things you know you can do that can affect change or improve life and get at it. Smile at your neighbors despite their beliefs or politics; hold your loved ones closely and invite someone to dinner soon. Turn off the news whenever you can and take control of the images that enter your head. There are news apps for your phone; you can simply read the headlines.

The exception to this would be watching the video of the Zelenskyy White House press conference if you haven’t already seen it. Every American should see this. Watch here.

Alyce

If we have no peace, it’s because we have forgotten that we belong to one another. ~Mother Teresa