Ingredient | Red Shrimp

"You get red all over your hands just from handling these," says chef Cornelius Gallagher of Manhattan's Oceana, showing off a plate of crimson-shelled carabineros. Gallagher is one of a growing number of American chefs now coveting this jumbo shrimp from Spain, named after the red uniforms that the country's customs police once wore. He roasts them in butter with shallots and thyme to bring out their sweetness. Nearby, at his eponymous restaurant, chef Alain Ducasse serves them pan-seared, perhaps with preserved lemon. Carabineros are also on the menus at San Francisco's Campton Place and at the Renoir in Las Vegas. Quite arresting.

—Salma Abdelnour

Published May 2003