Since it’s going to be awhile before I’m chewing my way through steaks, pork chops, spare ribs and even fried chicken, I’ve been really maxing out on seafood for some much-needed protein. My first weekend on solid foods included both my favorite pot of mussels and this delicious shrimp, which was a huge hit and is going straight into my rotation of go-to dinners.
I debated posting this because it seems like not very long ago I was waxing poetic about another super easy, tomato-based shrimp dish that was ALSO on my shortlist of favorites. But I’ve decided that the two are different enough that anyone would be lucky to have both recipes in their collection, and this one is so incredibly versatile that I could see it being dressed up at least 5 different ways.
I’m really not exaggerating when I say that this takes about 15 minutes to make, if you do what I do when I’m short on time and buy pre-peeled shrimp at the store. You quickly brown the shrimp in the pan, remove them and then start on the quick and simple sauce which consists of sliced shallots and minced garlic, diced tomatoes, a dash of cayenne, a dollop of crème fraîche, and a glug each of white wine and cognac. It simmers, you add back the shrimp to combine, and voila. Dinner is on the table.
At its simplest, this dinner is awesome with a crusty baguette for dipping into the flavorful sauce and grabbing stray shallot slices. But I could also see this working well with linguine (especially if you double the sauce portion of the recipe). I, rather embarrassingly, resorted later in the week to eating this atop a pile of “zoodles,” which I have looked down upon since they became a thing. But I will admit that it was a tasty way to stretch this meal and incorporate a vegetable into it. I’ll further admit that I bought the zoodles pre-spiralized…
The point of recipes like this is that they’re great for your back pocket. They’re simple enough that you always remember the proportions and you can riff on them endlessly (if zoodles are your jam, you are in luck here). Because as much as I love prescriptive recipes that I follow to the letter of the law in the name of “authenticity,” I think it’s just as important to be a flexible cook who can figure out a way to feed herself without having to choose between a 30-ingredient, 4-hour showstopper and a piece of freezer-burned bread with the dredges of the peanut butter jar spread on it. This is that recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. large shrimp (about 40), shelled and deveined Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 shallots, very thinly sliced (4 French shallots- I used 2 of the enormous ones I find here in NYC)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons Cognac
- One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the olive oil over moderately high heat. Add half of the shrimp and cook, turning once, until lightly browned but not cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- In the skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and Cognac and simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and cayenne and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche; season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2017/08/02/shrimp-a-lamericaine/
