The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (210 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
MAKES ABOUT
³⁄
4
CUP
The richness of the cream and butter is balanced well by the bolder ingredients, like the cayenne and white wine vinegar, in this recipe.
¹⁄ | cup dry white wine |
2 | tablespoons white wine vinegar |
1 | tablespoon grated fresh ginger |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | small shallot, minced |
¹⁄ | cup heavy cream |
12 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and chilled |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
Pinch cayenne pepper |
Combine wine, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and shallot in small saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium-high and simmer until mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add cream and continue to simmer until mixture is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl; wipe out saucepan. Return mixture to saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk in 2 pieces of butter until melted. Continue adding butter, 2 pieces at a time, until all butter has been incorporated. Stir in salt and cayenne; cover and keep warm.
MAKES ABOUT
¹⁄
4
CUP
Watch the butter carefully, as it can go from brown to burnt quickly.
4 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces |
1 | small shallot, minced |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh parsley |
¹⁄ | teaspoon minced fresh thyme |
2 | teaspoons lemon juice |
Salt and pepper |
Heat butter in small saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter turns dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes. Add shallot and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir in parsley, thyme, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm.
MAKES ABOUT
¹⁄
2
CUP
Watch the butter carefully, as it can go from brown to burnt quickly.
6 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 | plum tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped |
1 | tablespoon grated fresh ginger |
1 | tablespoon lemon juice |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
Salt |
Heat butter in small saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter turns dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomato, ginger, lemon juice, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt to taste. Cover to keep warm.
MAKES ABOUT
¹⁄
2
CUP
We like the fruity, peppery flavor extra-virgin olive oil adds to this vinaigrette, but it is overpowering on its own so we use half vegetable oil, half extra-virgin olive oil here.
2 | tablespoons orange juice |
2 | tablespoons lime juice |
1 | small shallot, minced |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh cilantro |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
2 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
Salt |
Combine orange juice, lime juice, shallot, cilantro, and pepper flakes in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in vegetable and olive oils. Season with salt to taste.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
A good recipe for pan-seared shrimp is hard to find. Of the handful of recipes we uncovered, the majority resulted in shrimp that were either dry and flavorless or pale, tough, and gummy. We wanted shrimp that were well caramelized but still moist, briny, and tender. Brining peeled shrimp inhibited browning so instead, we seasoned the shrimp with salt, pepper, and sugar, which brought out their natural sweetness and aided in browning. We cooked the shrimp in batches in a large, piping-hot skillet and then paired them with thick, glazelike sauces with assertive ingredients and plenty of acidity as a foil for the shrimp’s richness.
SERVES 4
Either a nonstick or a traditional skillet will work for this recipe, but a nonstick will simplify cleanup.
2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
1¹⁄ | pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
¹⁄ | teaspoon sugar |
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Meanwhile, toss shrimp, salt, pepper, and sugar in medium bowl. Add half of shrimp to pan in single layer and cook until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 1 minute. Off heat, flip each shrimp using tongs and allow shrimp to continue to cook in skillet until all but very center is opaque, about 30 seconds. Transfer shrimp to large plate. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining shrimp. After second batch has cooked off heat, return first batch to skillet and toss to combine. Cover skillet and let sit until shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Beat 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter with fork in small bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, and ¹⁄
8
teaspoon salt until combined. Add butter mixture to skillet when returning first batch of shrimp to skillet. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Stir together 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, 2 teaspoons water, 1¹⁄
2
teaspoons soy sauce, and 2 scallions, sliced thin, in small bowl. Substitute ¹⁄
4
teaspoon red pepper flakes for pepper and add hoisin mixture to skillet when returning first batch of shrimp to skillet.
Stir together 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1¹⁄
2
teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, and 4 teaspoons packed brown sugar in small bowl. Add chipotle mixture to skillet when returning first batch of shrimp to skillet.
SIZING UP SHRIMP
The first step to ensuring perfectly cooked shrimp is buying the right size of shellfish called for in your recipe. How frustrating, then, that the names for the different shrimp sizes vary from vendor to vendor, so that one company’s large is another company’s extra-large. The best way to eliminate ambiguity is to disregard the name and select shrimp based on the actual count per pound, which is clearly labeled on the packaging. The latter U (for “under”) means that there should be fewer than that number of shrimp in a pound; two numbers separated by a slash indicates the range of shrimp in a pound in that particular size. Most important: The smaller the number per pound, the bigger the shrimp.
TEST KITCHEN NAME | COUNT PER POUND |
Extra-Small | 61/70 |
Small | 51/60 |
Medium | 41/50 |
Medium-Large | 31/40 |
Large | 26/30 |
Extra-Large | 21/25 |
Jumbo | 16/20 |
Extra-Jumbo | U/15 |
Colossal | U/12 |
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Restaurant versions of shrimp scampi run the gamut from batter-dipped, deep-fried shrimp drenched in bad oil to boiled shrimp and tomato sauce on a bed of pasta. We wanted shrimp in a light sauce, smacking of garlic and lemon, garnished with parsley. Cooking the shrimp and garlic quickly was the key to avoiding overcooked, tough shrimp and bitter-tasting garlic. We first cooked the shrimp in a large skillet in batches and set them aside, then cooked the garlic in butter. Vermouth and lemon juice added the right punch. Adding the parsley at the end of cooking ensured it kept its fresh flavor.
SERVES 4
Use the cayenne sparingly; you are after only the faintest hint of spiciness. Serve with bread to sop up the remaining juices from both plate and skillet.
2 | tablespoons olive oil |
2 | pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined |
3 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
4 | garlic cloves, minced |
2 | tablespoons lemon juice |
1 | tablespoon dry vermouth or dry white wine |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
Pinch cayenne pepper | |
Salt and pepper |
1.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add 1 pound shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque, about 1 minute; transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining 1 pound shrimp, transferring shrimp to bowl with first batch.
2.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, add lemon juice and vermouth. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, add parsley and cayenne, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return shrimp and accumulated juices to skillet. Toss to combine; serve immediately.
Because it is spicy, this dish is best served with white rice.
Add 1 teaspoon grated orange zest and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon red pepper flakes to skillet with garlic in step 2. Omit cayenne and substitute 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro for parsley.
This variation is deeply flavorful but has slightly less heat than either of the other two versions.
Add 2 teaspoons paprika and 1 teaspoon ground cumin to skillet with garlic in step 2. Omit cayenne and substitute 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar for lemon juice.
Deveining usually creates a large, unsightly slit on the outer curve of shrimp. Try this technique for more attractive results.
1.
Insert one tine of a dinner fork into the shrimp, pass the tine beneath the vein, and hook it under.
2.
Draw the vein out through the very small hole you’ve created, leaving the shrimp looking virtually untouched.