The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (211 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
The generic recipes we found for casseroles of shrimp in a sherry-garlic sauce topped with bread crumbs all produced rubbery shrimp and gluey toppings. We were after all the potent flavors and contrasting textures that the name of this dish promises. Most recipes call for poaching the shrimp on the stovetop and then baking them in a casserole dish. Making the entire dish in a skillet on the stovetop was a good start to avoiding overcooking. We tossed the shrimp with sugar, along with salt and pepper, to promote browning. After searing the shrimp on one side, we removed them to build the sauce; we would add the shrimp back at the end to heat through and finish cooking. For the sauce, we started with garlic. We balanced the boozy flavor of the sherry with clam juice. A pinch of flour and some butter thickened the sauce, and lemon juice brightened everything up. A baguette made the perfect buttery bread crumbs; sprinkled on at the last minute, they were sturdy enough to stay crisp on the saucy shrimp.
SERVES 4
Vermouth can be substituted for the sherry. If using vermouth, increase the amount to ¹⁄
2
cup and reduce the amount of clam juice to ¹⁄
2
cup. To prepare this recipe in a 10-inch skillet, brown the shrimp in three batches for about 2 minutes each, using 2 teaspoons oil per batch. Serve the shrimp with rice and either broccoli or asparagus.
1 | (3-inch) piece baguette, cut into small pieces |
5 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces |
1 | small shallot, minced |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
2 | pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined |
¹⁄ | teaspoon sugar |
4 | teaspoons vegetable oil |
4 | garlic cloves, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
2 | teaspoons all-purpose flour |
²⁄ | cup bottled clam juice |
¹⁄ | cup dry sherry |
2 | teaspoons lemon juice plus lemon wedges |
1.
Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about 8 pulses. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add crumbs, shallot, ¹⁄
8
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
8
teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon parsley and transfer to plate to cool. Wipe out skillet with paper towels.
2.
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss shrimp with sugar, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon pepper in bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add half of shrimp in single layer and cook until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 3 minutes (do not flip shrimp). Remove pan from heat and transfer shrimp to large plate. Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and remaining 1 pound shrimp; transfer shrimp to plate with first batch.
3.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic just begins to color, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in clam juice and sherry. Bring to simmer and cook until mixture reduces to ³⁄
4
cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in lemon juice and remaining tablespoon parsley.
4.
Reduce heat to medium-low, return shrimp to skillet with sauce, and toss to combine. Cook, covered, until shrimp are pink and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs. Serve with lemon wedges.
FRESH OR FROZEN SHRIMP?
We’re often asked whether it’s better to cook with fresh or frozen shrimp. It’s somewhat of a trick question—almost all shrimp are frozen after being harvested, so the “fresh” shrimp you see at the market have very likely been frozen and then thawed by your fishmonger. Since there’s no way to know for certain when these “fresh” shrimp were defrosted, quality varies dramatically. In the test kitchen, we find that buying frozen shrimp and defrosting them at home yields superior results. Make sure to buy frozen shrimp with their shells on; shelled shrimp don’t survive the freezing and thawing process very well and will surely be mushy (and the shrimp shells can be used to make a quick and flavorful shrimp stock). To defrost shrimp, place them in a colander until cold running water; they will be thawed and ready to cook in a few minutes (always thoroughly dry them first).
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
In the traditional Greek dish shrimp saganaki, sweet, briny shrimp are covered with a garlic- and herb-accented tomato sauce and topped with crumbles of creamy, salty feta cheese. Restaurant versions, however, can be a gamble. The shrimp can be tough and rubbery, the tomato sauce can turn out dull or overwhelming, and the feta is often lackluster. We set out to develop a foolproof recipe for home cooks. Canned diced tomatoes along with sautéed onion and garlic provided our sauce’s base. Dry white wine added acidity. Ouzo, the slightly sweet anise-flavored Greek liqueur, added welcome complexity. While the shrimp are typically layered with the tomato sauce and feta and baked, we were after a quick and easy dish. We opted to cook the shrimp right in the sauce; adding the shrimp raw to the sauce helped infuse them with the sauce’s bright flavor. And for even more flavor, we marinated the shrimp with olive oil, ouzo, garlic, and lemon zest first while we made the sauce. A generous sprinkling of feta and chopped fresh dill over the sauced shrimp finished our recipe.
SERVES 4 TO 6
This recipe works equally well with either jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound) or extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), but the cooking times in step 3 will vary slightly depending on which you use. If you don’t have ouzo, you can substitute an equal amount of Pernod or 1 tablespoon vodka plus ¹⁄
8
teaspoon anise seeds. Serve the shrimp with crusty bread or steamed white rice.
1¹⁄ | pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired |
¹⁄ | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
3 | tablespoons ouzo |
5 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon grated lemon zest |
Salt and pepper | |
1 | small onion, chopped |
¹⁄ | red bell pepper, chopped |
¹⁄ | green bell pepper, chopped |
¹⁄ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
1 | (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained with ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup dry white wine |
2 | tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley |
6 | ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1¹⁄ |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh dill |
1.
Toss shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon ouzo, 1 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
8
teaspoon pepper in small bowl until well combined. Set aside while preparing sauce.
2.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables release their moisture, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture cooks off and vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes longer. Add remaining garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and reserved juice, wine, and remaining 2 tablespoons ouzo, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded and sauce is slightly thickened (sauce should not be completely dry), 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add shrimp along with any accumulated juices to pan; stir to coat and distribute evenly. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are opaque throughout, 6 to 9 minutes for extra-large or 7 to 11 minutes for jumbo, adjusting heat as needed to maintain bare simmer. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle with feta. Drizzle remaining tablespoon oil over top and sprinkle with dill. Serve immediately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
The key to our paella was finding equipment and ingredients that stayed true to the dish’s heritage. First, we substituted a Dutch oven for the more obscure specialty vessel, the paella pan. Then we pared down our ingredient list, dismissing lobster (too much work), diced pork (sausage would be enough), fish (flakes too easily), and rabbit and snails (too unconventional). Chorizo, chicken, shrimp, and mussels (favored over scallops, clams, and calamari) were all in. Canned diced tomatoes replaced the typical fresh. And when we focused on the rice, we found we preferred short-grain varieties. Valencia was our favorite, with Italian Arborio a close second. Chicken broth, white wine, saffron and a bay leaf were the perfect choices for liquid and seasoning, adding the right amount of flavor without overcomplicating our recipe.
SERVES 6
This recipe is for making paella in a Dutch oven (the Dutch oven should be 11 to 12 inches in diameter with at least a 6-quart capacity). With minor modifications, it can also be made in a paella pan (see recipe that follows). Dry-cured Spanish chorizo is the sausage of choice for paella, but fresh chorizo or linguiça is an acceptable substitute. Socarrat, a layer of crusty browned rice that forms on the bottom of the pan, is a traditional part of paella. In our version, socarrat does not develop because most of the cooking is done in the oven. We have provided instructions to develop socarrat in step 5; if you prefer, skip this step and go directly from step 4 to 6. To debeard the mussels, simply pull off the weedy black fibers.
1 | pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | tablespoons olive oil, plus extra as needed |
8 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and halved crosswise |
1 | red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into ¹⁄ |
8 | ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, sliced ¹⁄ |
1 | onion, chopped fine |
1 | (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, minced, and drained again |
2 | cups Valencia or Arborio rice |
3 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
¹⁄ | cup dry white wine |
¹⁄ | teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled |
1 | bay leaf |
12 | mussels, scrubbed and debearded |
¹⁄ | cup frozen peas, thawed |
2 | teaspoons chopped fresh parsley |
Lemon wedges |
1.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss shrimp, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon garlic in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and set aside.
2.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer bell pepper to small plate and set aside.
3.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty pot until shimmering. Add chicken pieces in single layer and cook, without moving, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn pieces and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to medium bowl. Reduce heat to medium and add chorizo to pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to bowl with chicken and set aside.
4.
Add enough oil to fat in pot to equal 2 tablespoons and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook until mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice and cook until grains are well coated with tomato mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, wine, saffron, bay leaf, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt. Return chicken and chorizo to pot, increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until rice absorbs almost all liquid, about 15 minutes. Remove pot from oven. Uncover pot, scatter shrimp over rice, insert mussels, hinged side down, into rice (so they stand upright), arrange bell pepper strips in pinwheel pattern, and scatter peas over top. Cover, return to oven, and cook until shrimp are opaque and mussels have opened, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. FOR SOCARRAT:
If socarrat is desired, set pot, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating pot 180 degrees after about 2 minutes for even browning.
6.
Let paella stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened and bay leaf, if it can be easily removed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
A paella pan makes for an attractive and impressive presentation. Use one that is 14 to 15 inches in diameter; the ingredients will not fit in a smaller pan.
Increase chicken broth to 3¹⁄
4
cups and wine to ¹⁄
2
cup. Before placing pan in oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil. For socarrat, cook paella, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, rotating pan 180 degrees after about 1¹⁄
2
minutes for even browning.