TUESDAY

Shrimp Roast & Rice

 

Tonight’s dinner is yet, another Canal House-inspired dish.  We really do try to have one seafood meal per week {I have been on a bit of a lag in that sense coming off the Holidays} but here we go…

Shrimp Roast {adapted from Canal House Cooks Everyday}:

For the Spice Blend ~

• 4 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
• ½ teaspoon lightly crushed fennel seeds

For the Shrimp ~

• 5 small red chiles, preferably bright red in color
• 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled & de-veined
• 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika*
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper*
• ½ teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1½ teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
• 2 tablespoons organic tomato paste

[ Note:  the original recipe in Canal House Cooks Everyday calls for Kashmiri chile powder.  While I ordered this specialty spice from Amazon over the weekend, it failed to arrive in time for this evening’s dinner.  I did a bit of research and found that a substitute for Kashmiri can be made with 3 parts sweet paprika to 1 part cayenne. ]

1. For the spice blend, mix together the coriander, garam masala & fennel seeds in a bowl.  Set aside.
2. For the shrimp, put the chiles in a small glass bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water.  Allow to steep for 15 minutes.  Drain the chiles & mince them…the yield should be approximately 2 teaspoons.  Set aside.
3. Pat the shrimp dry and transfer them to a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Add the paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, turmeric and salt…tossing to coat.  Set aside.
4. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté until they begin to brown around the edges ~ 8-10 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, tomato paste & reserved minced red chiles & fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the spice blend and fry briefly until fragrant.  Increase the heat to high and add the shrimp, stirring constantly until the shrimp are done, about 8 minutes.  Transfer shrimp to a serving dish.
6. Serve shrimp over cooked, white rice {long-grain, or Jasmine}…prepared according to package directions.

At this point, prepare a batch of long-grained white rice.  I prepared a triple batch to ensure enough white rice for my Horchata that I am serving on Friday evening…an end-of-the-week treat!

And the finished shrimp….