The Aft Deck 



"Search" Looks 

 at Sea Grant 



Sea Grant researchers and agents will 

 be featured on a television program set to 

 air in January. 



"Search," a series produced by N.C. 

 State University's Broadcast Services for 

 N.C. Public Television, is designed to focus 

 attention on scientists and researchers from 

 schools in the UNC system and elsewhere 

 in the state. 



During the 30-minute program 

 dedicated to Sea Grant, coastal engineer 

 Spencer Rogers discusses breakwater- 

 marsh as a means of erosion control, 

 marine advisory agent Skip Kemp talks 

 about clam breeding and shellfish 

 management, and marine agent Wayne 

 Wescott relays his crab shedding expertise. 



Also featured are Sea Grant's seafood 

 technology specialist David Green, 

 researcher Steve Broome and Sea Grant 

 Director B.J. Copeland. 



Features from the "Search" series are 

 packaged for distribution and are often re- 

 aired nationally and internationally. 



The series is tentatively scheduled to 

 air four Tuesdays in January. Check your 

 local listings for program dates and times. 



Say Merry Christmas 

 With Shrimp 



Why not add festive flair and ocean 

 flavor to your holiday hors d'oeuvres with 

 a shrimp Christmas tree? 



Joyce Taylor, Sea Grant's seafood 

 education specialist, says the tree is easy to 

 assemble and offers a light, tasty alterna- 

 tive to the heavy hors d'oeuvres and 

 calorie-ridden sweets that abound during 

 the holiday season. 



Shrimp Christmas Tree 



2 lbs. medium shrimp 

 1 bunch curly endive 

 1 foam cone, 1 1/2 feet tall 

 1 small box round toothpicks 

 cocktail sauce 



A Bulletin Board 



Place shrimp in boiling salted or 

 seasoned water. Cover and simmer about 

 five minutes or until shrimp are pink and 

 tender. Drain. Peel shrimp. Devein if 

 desired. Chill. 



Separate, wash and dry endive. 



Starting at the base of the foam cone 

 and working up, cover the cone with 

 overlapping leaves of endive. Fasten 

 endive to the cone with toothpick halves. 

 Cover fully with greens to resemble 

 Christmas tree. Attach shrimp to the tree in 

 loose spirals with toothpicks (see drawing 

 at right). 



For flair, add a red bow to the top of 

 your tree. Provide cocktail sauce in nearby 

 bowl for dipping shrimp. 



Cocktail Sauce 



1 1/2 cups catsup 

 1 T. lemon juice 



1 T. Worcestershire sauce 



2 T. horseradish 

 1 1/2 tsp. sugar 



1/4 tsp. or more Tabasco 

 salt and pepper to taste 



Combine all ingredients and chill. 



Taylor says the tree can be assembled 

 several hours in advance. But be sure the 

 tree is tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to 

 keep the shrimp from drying out and 

 returned to the refrigerator for chilling. Be 

 sure to keep the shrimp tree under 

 refrigeration until serving. 



For other seafood appetizers — crab- 

 stuffed tomatoes, crab dip, hot crab spread 

 and smoked fish spread — fit for holiday 

 fare, write to Joyce Taylor, N.C. State 

 University Seafood Laboratory, P.O. Box 

 1137, Morehead City, NC 28557. 



Ask for the Sept./Oct. hors d'oeuvre 

 issue of Mariner's Menu, the bimonthly 

 consumer seafood newsletter produced by 

 Taylor. While you're requesting this issue, 

 why not subscribe to this free newsletter. 

 It's full of fish and shellfish recipes and 

 consumer information. A subscription 



of Updates and Events 



would also make an excellent gift for 

 friends who love to cook. 



FDA Head 

 Talks Safety 



Thomas Billy, director of the Food and 

 Drug Administration's new Office of 

 Seafood, recently outlined new FDA 

 initiatives for fish and shellfish safety at the 

 Seafood and Environment Symposium 

 hosted by Sea Grant in Raleigh. 



Billy told an audience of seafood 

 scientists and technologists that Congress 

 had budgeted an additional $9.5 million last 

 fiscal year and $6 million for the upcoming 

 fiscal year to increase seafood inspection 

 and to allay public fears about seafood 

 contamination and disease risks. 



Much of the public's fear about the 

 safety of seafood is unfounded, Billy says. 

 Only the consumption of raw shellfish 

 poses significant health risk — but no more 

 risk than eating any other uncooked meat. 



18 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1991 



