Northern sweet shrimp

Crevette nordique (amaebi)

What it is

Every northern shrimp is born male and turns female at around four years old, so the egg-carrying ones behind a sushi counter are the oldest animals in the case. Its gelatinous sweetness comes from free amino acids that build up in cold water and break down within hours of death, which is why the boats freeze it on board rather than land it fresh.

In the kitchen

Do not rinse the peeled tails; brush them and leave them two minutes under a light salt, which firms and concentrates the flesh. Fry the heads separately at 180 °C for forty seconds until they crisp — they are the second half of the dish, not a trimming.

Goes with

Wasabi Soy sauce Yuzu Shiso Junmai sake Ikura Rice vinegar Lemon

In season alongside

Nantucket bay scallop Brocciu Clam Dungeness crab Fugu shirako Haddock

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