Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 11/01/2011 09:21 PM
Updated by: John_Hamilton on 11/02/2011 07:46 AM
Expires: 01/01/2016 12:00 AM
:
The Weekly Dish "Shrimp" The Fast and Elegant Dinner ~by Devon Shires of Magnolia Cafe
Murphys, CA...From time to time, our days fill to the brink and our nights are left unplanned, and dinner falls by the wayside. Often when we are stressed and busy, the last thing we want to think about is what to have for dinner, but who wants frozen meals and boxed dinners? Not I my friends! Not I. So, I always keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer just for these occasions and a few recipes in my mental repertoire so I’m not searching through cookbooks for something to make, adding to my frustration, fatigue and hunger! One thing I always have on hand is a bag of large frozen shrimp, which defrost incredibly quickly and make any meal seem “fancy”. ....
The Beautiful New Magnolia Cafe will be Opening Soon in Murphys. The Building is being completely Remodeled by All Weather Construction and is on Hwy 4 in Murphys.
Shrimp, as I’m sure you have noticed, come in many sizes, the easy rule: the smaller the number, the bigger the shrimp. The numbers denote how many shrimp make up a pound. I always try to buy 16/18s, they feel like a real meal and are easier to prep last minute as they require less tedious peeling and are less likely to get overcooked, read: rubbery.
Shrimp are, in my opinion often underutilized in home kitchens and viewed as expensive and out of reach, but in my house of two, Hungry Man and I will have a $20 bag for at least five meals. That means that a family of four could easily supplement the shrimp with a starch and veggies to last for 3 meals, which comes out to merely $1.60 a person for protein! Impressive, no?! Now, most frozen shrimp come deveined but not peeled, so when you are ready to eat, merely pull out your desired number of shrimp, put them in a bowl under cold running water for about 5 minutes and voila! Then simply peel and get to cookin’.
Cooking shrimp to perfection takes a little practice, but once you know the clues to look for, it’s easy as well… shrimp. The general rule is that shrimp should always be cooked to medium, for 16/18s this means about 2-3 minutes a side. Once they turn completely pink on one side, flip and pink the other side, the center should be just opaque. To make any shrimp meal great, I always have a small jar of capers, which last forever, garlic, some dry white wine and nice cold butter on hand. With just these five ingredients a gourmet tasting meal can go from in the freezer to on your table in 20 minutes flat. So, from my kitchen to yours, Shrimp with Caper and White Wine Sauce:
Shrimp with Caper and White Wine Sauce
Serves 2
8 shrimp
2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
large glug of dry white wine (about 1/3 c)
½ T capers
2 T cold salted butter
Prepare shrimp as described above: thaw in running water, peel, tails on
add oil to a medium sauté pan over low heat, add sliced garlic and slowly cook until golden brown, be carefully not to burn!
add shrimp and capers lightly season with salt and pepper
cook about 2 minutes a side, until pink and barely translucent in the center
add wine and cook an additional 15 seconds, remove just shrimp to a plate, reduce until sauce smells sweet and not of alcohol; remove from heat and swirl in cold butter
pour sauce over shrimp and serve!
*Variation: Add a can of high quality diced tomatoes with wine and serve with fresh feta cheese for a Mediterranean flavor.
To make this a full meal, serve with pasta or rice and your favorite veggie. Or, serve over a baked potato smashed with a drinking glass until flat, with the shrimp and sauce over top! YUM!
If you have any questions, ever, about the recipes here, or any questions about anything culinary, please don't hesitate to write to HYPERLINK "mailto:magnoliacafe64@gmail.com" magnoliacafe64@gmail.com.
Hope to see all of you soon and happy cooking!
PS- The café is still undergoing construction, we will keep you updated on progress, it is coming together beautifully!
Devon Shires
Chef and Owner Magnolia Café
64 Mitchler St
Murphys, CA
magnoliacafemurphys.com
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