There are plenty of different ways to celebrate the Christmas season, whether it’s stringing up lights or decorating a tree, but there’s one type of Christmas tree that doesn’t get nearly enough love: the shrimp Christmas tree!
You may be asking yourself: what even is a “shrimp Christmas tree?” We’re glad you asked!
Shrimp Christmas trees are a fun and festive way to serve up your shrimp during the holiday season! If you plan on serving shrimp at a gathering of friends or family, you could serve them the same old standard way on a plate with a garnish or two, or you could present them with style as part of a shrimp Christmas tree!
The basic idea revolves around getting a Styrofoam cone and decorating it with shrimp and a variety of other finger foods to fill it out. These can range from lettuce for a green leafy background, grape tomatoes for ornaments, cubes of cheese, lemons, and more: the possibilities are endless! The goal is to make an edible arrangement that’s just as great to look at as it is to eat!
There are many creative ways you can make your own shrimp Christmas tree. In fact, a quick Google Search turns up an endless list of resources you can use to find inspiration. Here’s a simple recipe from us!
SHRIMP CHRISTMAS TREE
ITEMS NEEDED:
- Styrofoam cone (with optional plastic wrap). You can find Styrofoam cones at your local craft store, and they come in a variety of sizes.
- Toothpicks
- 2 – 3, 1 lb. bags of cooked Biloxi shrimp (peeled & deveined). The number of shrimp can vary greatly depending on the size of your cone, the number of shrimp desired and the number of other ingredients you plan to include (for this application, boiled or steamed shrimp work best).
- 1 Head of Lettuce
- Any other finger foods you’d like to attach, such as:
- Grape tomatoes
- Lemon slices
- Cheese cubes
- Orange slices
- Baby corn
- Olives
- Peppers
- Cocktail sauce (optional).
- Crackers (optional).
DIRECTIONS:
- It’s a good idea to wrap your Styrofoam cone in plastic wrap. Wrap as tightly as possible and hold in place with toothpicks).
- Remove the leaves from the lettuce head. Working with one lettuce leaf at a time, use a toothpick to pin the leaf on the Styrofoam cone with the curly edge toward the bottom leaving half of the toothpick exposed. Work your way from the bottom edge to the top by overlapping the lettuce leaves so you do not see the Styrofoam cone.
- Attach your shrimp in a decorative pattern. You can use new toothpicks and/or use some of the ones you used to attach the lettuce.
- Serve (with optional cocktail sauce and crackers) and enjoy!
This is a completely creative process, and there really is no right or wrong way to decorate your tree. Once you get the hang of them, shrimp Christmas trees are sure to become a staple at your next holiday dinner.
Here’s a video from Shared Food showcasing their own spin on the recipe!
Happy crafting and, of course, always be sure to use delicious Biloxi shrimp for your recipes!
This Christmas season, we wish you and your loved ones happy holidays, and we can’t think of a better gift than the delicious taste of Gulf-caught shrimp. Your gift recipients can stock the freezer and have ample for the holidays! Or if you prefer, you can send a gift certificate by email. Just visit our Gift Ideas page!
Visit our Shop page to order wild-caught Gulf shrimp to be shipped to anywhere in the country today!