Shrimp Recipes
Shrimp Rice-Paper rolls with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
Sweet, salty, and spicy, nuoc cham is the indispensable sauce of Vietnam's cuisine. It's a favorite dipping sauce for spring rolls and for fresh rice-paper rolls such as these.
Ingredients
Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fermented fish sauce (nam pla)*
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced jalapeño chili with seeds
Rice-Paper Rolls
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced
4 ounces dried thin Chinese rice sticks (maifun)*
12 8- to- 9-inch round rice-paper sheets*
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup small fresh basil leaves
1 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce or green cabbage
1 cup mung bean sprouts or daikon (Japanese white radish) sprouts
1 cup matchstick-size strips seeded English hothouse cucumber
1 cup matchstick-size strips peeled carrot or jicama
8 ounces cooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, cut lengthwise in half
*Available at Asian markets.
Preparation
For dipping sauce:
Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Let stand at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
For rice-paper rolls:
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Cool.
Place rice sticks in large bowl; add enough hot water to cover. Let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cut into 6-inch lengths; set aside. Fill same bowl with warm water. Add 1 rice-paper sheet and turn until beginning to soften, about 30 seconds (sheet will still be stiff in a few spots). Remove from water; drain on kitchen towel. Repeat with 5 more rice-paper sheets, arranging in single layer.
Divide half of mint, cilantro, and basil among softened rice-paper sheets, arranging in line across lower third of each sheet and leaving 1-inch border on each end. Top with half of rice sticks, shaping into compact log. Top with half of lettuce, sprouts, cucumber, carrot, shrimp, and mushrooms. Fold bottom of each rice sheet over filling, then fold in ends and roll into tight cylinder. Place rolls, seam side down, on platter. Repeat soaking with remaining rice-paper sheets, then top with remaining filling to form 6 more rolls. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover with damp paper towel and plastic wrap; chill.) Cut each roll diagonally into thirds. Arrange on platter and serve with sauce.
Makes 36 pieces.
Marinated Shrimp With Champagne Beurre Blanc
The classic - and amazingly easy - French sauce made with butter and wine gets a glamorous makeover with Champagne. Feel free to use less-expensive sparkling wine for cooking, but keep the blanc de blancs flowing as an accompaniment.
Ingredients
Sauce base
2 cups Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or other white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Shrimp
1 cup Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
24 extra-large uncooked shrimp (about 2 pounds), peeled with tail left intact, deveined
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
Preparation
For sauce base:
Combine Champagne, shallots, vinegar, and peppercorns in heavy medium saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup liquid, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
For shrimp:
Combine Champagne, olive oil, shallots, and ground pepper in resealable plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag and seal; shake bag to coat shrimp evenly. Marinate shrimp at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, turning bag occasionally. Mix chives, tarragon, and parsley in small bowl.
Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Drain shrimp; discard plastic bag with marinade. Arrange shrimp on prepared pan in single layer. Broil shrimp until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Stand 3 shrimp, tails upright, in center of each plate.
Rewarm sauce base over medium-low heat. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, just allowing each to melt before adding next (do not boil or sauce will separate). Season beurre blanc to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon warm sauce around shrimp. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve.
Market tip:
Champagne and sparkling wines labeled extra dry are actually slightly sweeter than those labeled brut. The latter works best for this dish.
Makes 8 first-course servings.
Coconut Shrimp with Tamarind Ginger Sauce
Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr
Ingredients
For sauce
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate*
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons mild honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
For shrimp
4 cups sweetened flaked coconut (10 oz)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup beer (not dark)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 large egg
6 cups vegetable oil
48 medium shrimp (1 1/2 lb), peeled, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact, and, if desired, deveined
Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer
Preparation
Make sauce:
Whisk tamarind concentrate into lime juice in a small bowl until dissolved. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients and chill, covered.
Prepare shrimp:
Coarsely chop coconut and transfer half to a shallow soup bowl or pie plate.
Whisk together flour, beer, baking soda, salt, cayenne, and egg in a small bowl until smooth.
Heat oil in a 4- to 6-quart deep heavy pot over moderately high heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer.
While oil is heating, coat shrimp:
Hold 1 shrimp by tail and dip into batter, letting excess drip off, then dredge in coconut, coating completely and pressing gently to help adhere. Transfer to a plate and coat remaining shrimp in same manner, adding remaining coconut to bowl as needed.
Fry shrimp in oil in batches of 8, turning once, until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season lightly with salt. Skim any coconut from oil and return oil to 350°F between batches.
Serve shrimp with sauce.
Cooks' note:
Tamarind ginger sauce can be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving
Makes 8 hors d'oeuvre servings.
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