Shrimp Mold and Shrimp Dip

Louisiana Brown Shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico

     The next time you buy shrimp, take a closer look at the label and you’ll notice a set of numbers divided by a slash, like this: 21/25.  This number, called the “count”, tells you the size of the shrimp.  The count refers to the number of individual shrimp in 1 pound. For instance, when you but 1 pound of 21/25 count shrimp, that means you can expect to get 21 to 25 shrimp. The smaller the numbers, the bigger the shrimp. Sometimes on big shrimp you’ll see a count that looks like this: U/15 to U/10. This means there are fewer than 15 or fewer than 10 shrimp per pound.

Two of my favorite recipes for parties are my Shrimp Mold and mom’s Shrimp Dip.

Shrimp Mold 

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

2 envelopes Knox brand unflavored gelatine

½ cup cool water

½ cup green onions chopped fine

1 cup celery chopped fine

1 pound cooked shrimp chopped

2 (10oz) packages of  cream cheese, softened

1 cup of mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon lemon pepper 

1. Heat soup in a small saucepan
2. In a medium bowl stir gelatine into cool water until dissolved. Mix hot soup into the gelatine liquid.  
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and mayonnaise together. 
4. Add soup mixture to the cream cheese and mayonnaise. Mix well.
5. Add green onions, celery, shrimp, and lemon pepper.
6. After mixing, place in greased mold and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or preferably refrigerate overernight.

Shrimp Dip

 3 bricks of cream cheese (softened)

1/3 cup of cream (or milk)

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Dash or two of Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup of cooked shrimp chopped up

1.      In a blender add the cream cheese and gradually add the cream and blend until smooth.

2.      Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.

3.      Chill for about an hour (Best served next day). 

Tip: Substitute crab or lobster meat in place of shrimp.