Mantis shrimp. I trust you see the resemblance, although the guy next to me remarked that they looked like scorpions on steroids. “They’re hanlilitik,” the vendor said. “Lobster.”
Wrong. Mantis shrimp isn’t even shrimp, I learn when I check online. Same class, different order. It does, however, taste lobster-ish. If I were this animal, I would have a serious personality disorder. And who’s to say it doesn’t? It certainly isn’t very sociable, not with its neighbors (it’s a predator). And it’s not called hanlilitik for nothing, either. If Wikipedia is to be believed, larger species can shatter aquarium glass with a single strike of its claw. Imagine what it can do to your immaculately manicured hands.
My dictionary says litik is “snap” in English. Wrong again. They both involve the thumb and middle finger, but in a litik, you press the nail of your middle finger against the flesh of your thumb, then let snap. Snap is a component of litik. The other components are a piece of flesh to deliver that snap against and (obviously) an intent to hurt — just how much depending on whether you’re being playful or mean.
The mantis shrimp has no such moods (at least I don’t think so). It does what it does in order to survive. It has to eat, right? And you were going to kill it, right? Fair’s fair. Stay away, you murderous biped! [Snap.] Keep your hands off me! [Snap.] Hey, where are we going? Why, it’s dark in here… And cold! Feels nice; I think I’ll just sleep for a bit.
Whether the interlude in the freezer (dark + cold, get it?) really lulls the mantis shrimp to sleep or simply renders it numb, I have no idea. Perhaps the cold and the dark remind it of home and calm it down, make it feel safe. Little does it know how seriously wrong it is. Now I’m beginning to feel sorry for the doomed critter. I hope you’re not as well, because you’re really going to hate me when I tell you that I took it out of the freezer after ten minutes and steamed it. Sorry, mantis shrimp. It’s a cruel world we live in. You of all creatures should appreciate the irony.
At least it had company — a kilo’s worth of its ilk, for which I paid PhP250. Not bad, eh? I steamed the lot for fifteen minutes — enough time for me to whip up some beurre blanc, instead of settling for sinamak (spiced vinegar), which would have been good enough, if loads healthier, but in for one cholesterol high, in for one more. Hey, you only die once.
Beurre blanc is white butter sauce. To make, boil a quarter cup of white wine and two tablespoons of vinegar with two tablespoons of minced red onion and five black peppercorns until almost dry. Turn off heat and whisk in two small chunks of chilled unsalted butter until completely melted, then add more, two chunks at a time, just as the previous pieces have been fully incorporated; you will use up about half a cup before achieving a light, creamy sauce (which is how I prefer mine; if you want a richer sauce, add more butter). Add a teaspoon of lemon (or in my case, kalamansi) juice, salt to taste, and strain. Serve warm as a dip or topping. This is best made at the last minute; it will split if left to stand too long (you can also keep it warm inside a thermos flask).
I haven’t touched on mantis shrimp as food, so let me state for the record that I found its meat succulent, almost sweetly so, with a hint of saltiness from the brine I steamed it with. It tasted more like lobster than shrimp, both of which, as we have established, it isn’t at all, but who can argue with your taste buds? What’s in a name, anyway? Good food’s good food. Enjoy. It’d be a shame not to.
This post has no comments.
Post a Comment