If you’ve never been to Alaska your idea of what it’s like here probably depends on what kind of tv shows, books, and movies you like. Maybe you think of Alaska as the Last Frontier with sprawling forests, abundant wildlife, and adventure at every turn. Maybe you think of Alaska as a land of opportunity with rich resources like oil, gas, and gold. Or maybe you think of Alaska as a cold, barren, inhospitable landscape where the people live in igloos, and wear layers of fur. Well you’re not wrong! (Except for the igloos, sorry guys, that’s not really a thing…)  Life in Alaska is special. I feel lucky to have lived here my whole life (ok, mostly, I had a brief stint as a baby living in Colorado, but if you don’t remember it, it doesn’t count) and one of the purposes of this blog is to share what life in Alaska is like. So, it’s only fitting that my first ever post is about one of the most majestic places in the state, Prince William Sound. 

Alaska has over 6,600 miles of coastline which is more than all of the rest of the states combined. Many residents have their own boats, but it is a privilege to be able to own and operate a boat of your own. I’m lucky enough to have a partner who is so obsessed with fishing that he just had to have his own ocean boat. When you get into buying boats, it’s a lot like buying cars, houses, and really any other big ticket item. At first you don’t really know what you’re doing, and you start small. You learn what you like, what you don’t like, and most importantly what you need. After a few years of trial and error, we landed on what we have now, and feel really comfortable and satisfied with what we can do. Our boat is a 26’ Hewescraft Pacific Explorer.  It sleeps 4 people pretty comfortably, cruises at around 35mph, and can handle rough seas much easier than its smaller counterparts. 

Prince William Sound is part of the Gulf of Alaska. It’s surrounded mostly by the Chugach Forest. The land is full of fjords, islands, and coves that make the water perfect for smaller boats because it’s so well protected by land.  On any given trip to Prince William Sound you can see black bears cruising the beaches, humpback and orca whales breaching, seals hanging out in coves looking for food, otters holding hands and cracking open shellfish on their bellies, porpoises racing the boat, and countless seabirds swimming, diving, and flying overhead.  It’s a real Alaskan experience that if you ever have the chance to see, do not pass it up!

Jump to Recipe

The boat launch in Whittier is about 1.5 hours from our home in Wasilla, and we typically travel 1-2 hours away from the harbor on our trips, so we usually spend at least one night camping on the boat in a cove. Nothing beats it, especially when you can cook freshly caught halibut for breakfast! Think of it as a motor home on the water. After a day of fishing, we motor into a cove and drop anchor. Oftentimes we travel with friends and have a boat caravan. We’ll tie up to socialize, and share resources for the night. Every boat is required to have a dinghy on board in case of emergency, it can also be used to go to shore and explore (this is not recommended without bear spray at the very least)! Our boat has a kitchenette and a very small latrine, so there really isn’t a need to get off of the boat unless it is to explore.

We spend our days fishing, exploring, and my personal favorite… we go shrimping! Alaska is home to five different species of shrimp, but the ones we’re after in Prince William Sound are called Spot Shrimp. They’re the largest of the five species, so you get a little more bang for your buck so to speak, a little more meat for the work you put into catching the shrimp. These shrimp are sweet, juicy, and as fresh as you could possibly get!

On our last trip to Prince William Sound we had a fairly successful Spot Shrimp harvest, and as if it were kismet, my friend Marae posted a recipe on Instagram for Bang Bang Shrimp. I saw her post on the drive home and I knew immediately I just had to make it. I’m a sucker for anything spicy, and I just knew that the spicy sauce and succulent shrimp would make a winning combination! Bonus it looked like a 20 minute meal, which is always a winner in my book (read: busy days, rushing home from work, and frantically throwing together dinner).

Any shrimp will work for this recipe; you do not need to have freshly caught shrimp from Prince William Sound, but if you want to go all Bubba Gump on me and get yourself your own boat, I can’t say that I’d blame you! Any medium to large shrimp variety from your local market will do just fine. Skip the baby shrimp though, you want your shrimp to be large enough to stand up to the spicy sauce, and so they won’t shrink up into oblivion when you pan fry them. If your shrimp have the shells and tails on, the first step is to peel and devein the shrimp. Read more about how to peel and devein shrimp here.

Once you’ve peeled, deveined, and rinsed your shrimp, place them on a paper towel, or a kitchen towel to drain the excess moisture, this step will ensure crispy, well coated shrimp. While the shrimp are draining, prep the Bang Bang sauce and put in the fridge to chill. 

Preheat a skillet on medium low heat with oil until shimmering. I used a cast iron skillet with avocado oil. You want to use a neutral tasting oil with a high smoke point. Unrefined coconut oil could be good here if you want to add a hint of sweet coconut flavor. While your skillet is pre heating, dredge the shrimp in cornstarch. When your oil is shimmering add shrimp one at a time to the skillet. 

Heat on both sides until golden brown, (try not to move the shrimp around a lot unless it’s to flip, that will ensure a nice golden color and avoid and sticking to the pan) about 4-6 minutes for medium shrimp or 6-8 minutes for larger to jumbo size shrimp. The shrimp should be opaque all the way through when cooked.  Drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Once cooled just slightly, add the shrimp into the bowl with the prepared Bang Bang sauce and stir to coat the shrimp. 

You can serve on a salad, in a wrap, with rice noodles and stir fried vegetables, or as a “bowl” with rice and beans like I did. I made a simple dressing for the black beans with cumin, salt, and lime juice for a fresh burst of acidity. I let the beans marinate while I prepped the rest of the recipe. Build the bowl by layering rice, beans, chopped red bell pepper, lettuce, and shrimp. Garnish with extra sesame oil, Sriracha sauce, and cilantro. The rice adds heartiness, the beans bring a creamy texture and element of brightness from the dressing to the table. The red bell pepper adds a juicy crunch and it’s natural sweetness compliments the spice from the shrimp. I add lettuce for freshness and to sneak as many greens into my diet as possible! 

Avocado would have been fantastic with this bowl, but being the genius that I am, I  decided to shop for this recipe on Cinco de Mayo and the store was completely sold out of ripe avocados, as it is on Cinco de Mayo, when everyone and their Mother is making guacamole (note to self, revolutionize guacamole and release recipe May 2021). I wouldn’t let my lack avocado keep me from my spicy shrimp though! This recipe is quick, easy, and feels decadent thanks to the sauce. If you make it, let me know what you think! Tag me on Instagram with #marthadoeslife

Bang Bang Shrimp