Delicious Shrimp Heads

I was up late one night - for no reason really, just staying up late and flipping through TV channels. Food Network had me stop, drooling and suddenly hungry at 1:30am. I was looking at Food Network celebrities describing the best fried food they've ever had and then actually going to the restaurant and savoring it in the most mouthwatering fashion. Duff Goldman, the guy from Ace of Cakes talked about a sushi restaurant that served fried shrimp heads. He described how delicious it was and that they didn't have it on the menu. Who eats shrimp heads?! I thought they were filled with weird shrimp brains (do they have brains?) and goo. I was intrigued. So I tracked down Joss Cafe and Sushi Bar in Annapolis and ordered the fried shrimp heads. The server seemed surprised that I asked for them - since they're not on the menu and brought out the cute little heads, looking super crispy, with the black beady eyes looking up at me. The people at the next table asked what they were, so I explained my story and soon, I had an audience as I prepared to eat what we would generally throw out. I dipped one in some soy sauce and put the whole thing in my mouth. It was difficult to chew, as the head is very spiky and pretty large in size, but oh my gosh, it was amazing! The outside was crispy and a bit salty, but the inside was creamy with an intense shrimp flavor. It was like being in shrimp heaven. If you live in or are visiting the Annapolis area, you need to check out the shrimp heads at Joss Sushi. I think the next time I purchase shrimp, I'll reserve the heads and try deep frying them myself. Tasty tasty!!!!

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www.josscafe-sushibar.com