The zone for ridgebacks runs from Point Conception down to Mexico. Mick Kronman, Santa Barbara harbor master, writes in his book From Hooks to Harpoons: The Story of Santa Barbara Channel Fisheries, “Ridgeback shrimp are found primarily in the Santa Barbara Channel, with only modest populations located in other areas.” During the El Niño years of 1999 to 2002, seven to eight Santa Barbara boats were shrimping. During the last ridgeback season, there were only three Santa Barbara shrimpers, all descended from local fishing families: Morgan Castagnola, Jeff Hepp and Junior Gorgita. Morgan Castagnola fished with his grandfather, Lawrence, and his uncle, Timmy Castagnola. Morgan’s boat, the Cecelia, was his grandfather’s boat. His cousin and Timmy’s son, Daniel Castagnola, is his crewman. Morgan has been shrimping for 16 years. Most of his ridgeback catch is wholesaled to a buyer who trucks it to San Francisco to be sold in Chinatown, and a smaller portion goes to Los Angeles. Timmy Castagnola is considering buying a boat and returning to shrimping. Jeff Hepp was born in 1967. As a toddler, his parents kept him on the boat in a lobster trap with an orange while they were harpooning swordfish. His mom, Gloria Marie, was a Castagnola before marrying his dad, Fred Hepp. Jeff ’s boat is the New Hazard, which was built by commercial fisherman Ralph Hazard in 1926. Jeff was the last person to fish with Ralph Hazard, who was a mentor to many fishermen. Junior Gorgita and his wife, Dee, and their son, Manny, are part of a long-time Santa Barbara fishing family. Junior told me that his grandfather’s grandfather was a fisherman. Junior’s boat is the Mary-K and Manny’s boat is the Kay-D. Dee manages the family seafood stand at the Saturday farmers market in Santa Barbara, as she has for 30 years. She sells ridgebacks when in season and sells halibut, sea bass and rockfish depending on the day’s catch. Buying directly from the Gorgitas at the farmers market is a great way to get your hands on fresh, local ridgebacks. Paul Greenberg, in his 2014 book American Catch: The Fight for Our Local Seafood, noted: “A full 91 percent of the seafood Americans eat comes from abroad… fish and shellfish we send abroad are wild while we import seafood that is often farmed.” Shrimp farmed in China and Vietnam and other countries are given shrimp feed, which may contain antibiotics to prevent vibriosis caused by the stagnant and crowded conditions in the growing ponds. Taste in farmed shrimp is also an issue, Greenberg writes: “You get a certain flavor from the wild. It can’t be replicated. It’s far superior.” Ridgebacks have a delicate sweet flavor which I find does not need much seasoning. In Santa Barbara, we are fortunate to have access to the local wild-caught ridgeback for eight months of the year. Our local fishermen work hard to fish sustainably. Let us help sustain our fishermen by buying their fish and shellfish. As Paul Greenberg writes in American Catch, “There is no more intimate relationship we can have with our environment than to eat from it.”
Ridgeback shrimp.
Freezing Ridgeback Shrimp My mother taught me to freeze shrimp by covering the shrimp with water in a plastic container. Be sure to use a plastic container that is suitable for freezer use. Freezing the shrimp in water prevents freezer burn. I find that shrimp frozen in water have the taste and consistency of fresh shrimp. Wash shrimp with cold water. Place shrimp in a colander. Dehead the shrimp by pinching the heads off. Leave the rest of the shell on the shrimp. If possible, pull out the vein after deheading. Place the deheaded shrimp in plastic containers. Cover the shrimp completely with water, leaving enough room in the container, approximately 1 to 2 inches from the top, for the water to expand when it freezes. The quantity of shrimp that I place in a container for freezing depends on how I plan to cook the shrimp. For boiled shrimp, I will freeze them in larger quantities. For a gumbo or an étouffée, I will freeze the quantity needed for the recipe.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 37