Grandma Julia’s Block Island Stuffed Shrimp
Julia Child wasn’t the only “Julia” who could cook. Learn what our friend Jan Reichel’s Grandma Julia taught her to make during visits to Block Island!
Photographer Cindy Wilson captures Block Island's charm. See more of her photographs - www.cindywilsonphoto.com
Julia was born on Block Island in 1904.
Jan’s great grandfather Matthew Stillman Barber owned the Shore Diner, a restaurant on Block Island from 1900 to 1916. Imagine a whole meal for 50 cents and that included the watermelon for dessert!
Another family member was a cook on a cargo schooner, in the late 1890 to 1900. He also worked as a chef in Florida in the winter and in Rhode Island in the summer.
The Barber family also owned an ice cream parlor in the 1900’s. They manufactured vanilla and bottled it under the Barber name.
The stuffed shrimp recipe is just one of many foods made by Jan’s grandma Julia such as clam cakes, johnny cakes (fried white cornmeal cakes), dough bats (fried bread dough served with syrup), clam chowder and quahog pie
Jan says, “My grandma was a total foody. She would be talking about the next meal and we hadn’t even finished the one we were eating. At Thanksgiving, right after dinner she would come around with a tray of ground turkey and mayonnaise sandwiches, with the crust cut off and cut into fours diagonally. After breakfast I would smell her starting to cook her american goulash, the onions, the beef, etc. Each morning I would smell the bacon coming up to meet me as I came down the stairs.”
This Block Island Stuffed shrimp recipe is easy and simple yet packed with flavor. The stuffing can also be used on Lobster or other types of fish…it’s yummy!
- Block Island Stuffed Shrimp Recipe
1 Sleeve Saltines - Crushed
1 1/2 sticks Butter
2 tsp. Coleman’s Dry Mustard
Spray a foiled pan. Place shrimp together tail to tail (looks like a yin-yang shape)
Put buttered crumbs on top of the shrimp
Sprinkle with Paprika
Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes (or more depending on the size of the shrimp)
As Jan mentioned, this stuffing is good on Lobster as well. Of course, anything on lobster is good!
I think her recipe sounds great. It’s also easy to make.
This sounds absolutely delicious and so easy. Will have to make this for my family. I love the old photos of Jen’s Great Great Grandfather’s restaurant. What a wonderful heritage to have and to share.
This sounds delicious - delicious and easy. Definitely worth a try. My husband and I lived in RI for 4 years and have visited Block Island. Though people on Block Island are a totally different culture (as is every square mile of RI!), I firmly believe EVERYONE in RI can cook!!! I love the story and recipe!