What are
Mantis shrimp are products of sea (and lagoon) fishing known by the alternative names of sea cicada (improperly, since the true sea cicada would be the Scyllarus arctus or magnosella), corn on the cob, panocchie and canocie.
Anatomical description
the mantis shrimp have a rather complex morphological organization; the body segments are divided into 5-6 of the head, 8 of the thorax and 7 of the abdomen. The carapace is small, fused with the 3 somites of the thorax, and consists of a "single plate (pereion); the abdomen, on the other hand, is much more developed. The limbs of the mantis shrimp are very different from those of the Decapods; on the thorax, frontally, they have 2 pairs of gripper legs with which, from the inside of their burrows (dug in the sand) , grab passing prey. Near the junction with the belly, but always on the thorax, the mantis shrimp has 3 pairs of legs delegated to the movement on the seabed; at the beginning of the belly it has another 3 and, towards the tail, 5 pairs of fins extend which also allow it to move vertically on the water column. The last pair of fins (more developed) is positioned at the apex of the belly and laterally with respect to the tail. The mantis shrimps are light, beige-yellowish, with red-purple pigmentations at the apex of the legs, fins and on the lamellar crown of the ventral carapace; there are also two circular spots on the tail, probably with the function of confusing predators.
Habitat and Fishing
mantis shrimp can reach 20-25cm in length, feed on fish, cephalopod molluscs and annelids, and live mainly on coastal areas and near lagoons / pockets; nevertheless, they have been identified up to 200m deep. The mantis shrimp have nocturnal habits and fishing (carried out mainly in train), takes place successfully in conjunction with rough seas. It is not a gregarious animal but, inevitably, it ends up gathering in the areas that have the best food and biological resources.
The geographic distribution of mantis shrimp in the Mediterranean Sea is concentrated in particular on the north-western side of the Adriatic Sea.
storage
Mantis shrimp are much more "delicate" foods than crabs, shrimps, prawns, spider crabs, lobster, lobster, etc. In addition to having an extremely limited shelf life (similarly to the aforementioned, due to the early formation of free nitrogen groups - odor of ammonia), losing freshness they are subjected to a strong dehydration which reduces the volume of the edible portion inside their carapace. They must be stored by refrigeration, preferably in crushed ice, and subjected to freezing mainly in case of need. According to connoisseurs, shrimps should be purchased ONLY alive !
Both the freshness and the size of the mantis shrimp suggest their culinary destination.
Recipes
Although the preparation of excellence consists of boiling-boiling (after which they will be deprived of the carapace, and seasoned with salt, pepper, citronette and fresh parsley - for a warm appetizer or one Catalan mixed), it is true that in order to obtain a "satisfying" dish the animals MUST necessarily be very fresh and of considerable size (about 15-20cm); finding shrimp of dubious freshness, frozen or small, it is therefore necessary to completely change the type of processing. The latter lend themselves more to the composition of sauces for first courses (the famous sedanini with mantis shrimp) and seafood risotto. Personally, by virtue of the typical delicacy attributable to their meat, I do not consider that cooking in the oven, grilling and frying are suitable for the preparation of mantis shrimp (large or small, fresh or not) ... even if, after all , de gustobus non est disputandum. NB: The "old" or defrosted mantis shrimp, during cooking, tend to empty completely, leaving only a few traces of pulp inside the coating.
Cleaning and Preparation
It is essential to remember that mantis shrimp have an extremely sharp carapace, however, the shelling of the crustacean varies according to the preparation method. To make them boiled or boiled (possibly even steamed), the shrimp must NOT be cut before cooking; only at the end, by means of a scissor, the belly must be longitudinally incised (without interrupting the continuity of the thorax with the attached front prehensile legs) by removing the edible part and eliminating the chitin (structural polysaccharide).
On the contrary, if the mantis shrimp are intended for the preparation of sauces or first courses in general, it is advisable (always using scissors): remove the lamellar crown of the carapace on the belly (similar to a "skirt"), remove all the legs and the fins with the exception of the anterior prehensile ones, trim the tail (discarding the attached spikes) and the lateral caudal fins, cut the anterior portion of the head (removing the mouth, eyes and all protuberances that could injure the mucous membranes of the mouth) and finally, cut the body into several pieces, about 2-4cm wide (at will). The shrimp sauce should be mixed very gently (or not mixed at all) to prevent the segments from emptying from the pulp; in risotto, all the scraps of the shell are destined for the flavoring of the broth for the risotto, while the pieces of the crustacean should be added only in the last 5-6 minutes of cooking. For gratin lovers, cleaning is similar to that just described MA does not involve cutting into pieces, but a simple (unilateral) incision of the belly (above or below) in which to insert (or not) the panure with garlic, oil, parsley, salt and pepper.
Nutritional Properties
The chemical and compositional values of the shrimp are not known precisely; it is however conceivable that these possess nutritional characteristics similar to Decapod crustaceans and therefore boast: a good supply of high biological value proteins, a modest content of fatty acids BUT a considerable quantity of cholesterol and a small portion of soluble carbohydrates; the "energy intake should be modest. It is also conceivable that the presence of vitamins is more focused on those of group B and on carotenoids (pro-vit. A)"; you probably appreciate a good level of bioavailable iron and potassium, but also sodium (less desirable).
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