Nick's Garlic Shrimp Linguine

Bought some fresh linguine at Capitol at Jean-Talon market the other day, so I decided to make some garlic shrimp. At my local Metro they now have a frozen self-serve case where you can choose various-sized shrimp at $9.99 a pound so I’m always tempted. I’m basically on a shrimp kick as a leftover from my vegetabledom.

I improvised this recipe, so you’ll probably want to as well.

Garlic Shrimp Linguine



Ingredients
12-13 large raw shrimp, peeled (tails off)
4-5 large shallots, finely chopped
6-7 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 lb. fresh Shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and sliced
1 lb. fresh linguine pasta
2/3 cup dry white wine
Olive oil
Compound herb butter
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Red pepper flakes
Italian parsley
Basil
Salt and sugar for brining shrimp

Method
About thirty minutes before starting to cook, brine frozen shrimp in lukewarm water with about 1/3 cup of salt (dissolved) and about 1/4 cup caster sugar (dissolved).

Cook pasta until a hair short of al dente, about 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook! The pasta will cook further with the other ingredients.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat about three tablespoons olive oil on medium heat until shimmering. Sauté mushrooms until they have lost their water, about five minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add about two tablespoons herb butter and sauté shallots for about five minutes; add garlic and sauté three minutes more.

Remove and add to bowl with mushrooms.

Rinse shrimp under cold running water, pat dry.

Add two more tablespoons herb butter to pan and one teaspoon pepper flakes. Add shrimp and sauté for about two minutes on one side and three minutes on the other. Remove and place with shallot-mushroom mixture.

Add wine to pan. Cook until vaguely syrupy, about 8-10 minutes. Add the cooked pasta, the shallot-mushroom-shrimp mixture, and the two cheeses. Chop about half a cup each of the basil and parsley. On medium-heat, mix all ingredients thoroughly; serve immediately on warmed plates. Drink a nice dry Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Shrimp Stroganoff

It's been a while since I posted. Japan was a disaster, as usual. I arrived in the evening after a grueling 20-or-so hour journey, ate, went to sleep, woke up the next day, went back to sleep, woke up, ate dinner, went to sleep, woke up, packed my bag, headed for the airport and did another 20-hour journey. The only consolation was that I was in First Class from Japan to Vancouver, but the hitch was that I slept the whole time.

Today will be a week since I've been back and it's truly the first day I feel human again (it always takes about a week).

But the other day I did have the pleasure of making my new favorite dish, Shrimp Stroganoff. It was only the second time I've made it (the first was for Shelley of montrealfood.com and was a grand success) but this time was excellent as well. If you really want to blow away your friends or family you will make this! The kicker is that it's really easy. But do not substitute sour cream for crême-fraiche.

Nick's Version of Shrimp Stroganoff


Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound frozen large raw shrimp (15/21), peeled and deveined (easy-peel is fine)
4-5 large shallots, diced finely, to equal about a cup
9-10 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (available from various spice manufacturers)
4 cups or more shiitake and pleurot mushrooms, stems removed, washed and sliced
Olive oil, as indicated in method
Approximately 1 1/4 cup chicken broth, divided
Approximately 1/2 cup dry white wine
Approximately 1 cup crême fraiche
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Handful chopped Italian parsley
Handful chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Brine the shrimp. In a microwave-safe container, combine about four tablespoons sea salt and two tablespoons sugar with half a cup of water. Heat in microwave until almost boiling. Stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Pour into bowl, add frozen shrimp.and warm water to cover. When thoroughly thawed, remove shells as necessary (tails as well), rinse and drain.

In large nonstick sauté pan, add about three tablespoons olive oil. Heat on medium until shimmering. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about three minutes, then add about half the garlic. Sauté further about two minutes, then remove and set aside. In same pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining garlic, Cajun seasoning and red pepper flakes. Sauté one minute, then add shrimp. Spread evenly throughout the pan. Cook one minute on one side, then turn shrimp with tongs. After a further 2 or so minutes, or until pink, remove shrimp and set aside.

Add mushroom slices to pan and sauté until mushrooms have shrunken by half. Remove to bowl with shallots. Add wine and 1 cup chicken broth to pan. Cook down until reduced by half — approximately 8-10 minutes.

In separate container, mix crême fraiche with remaining chicken broth and cornstarch and combine thoroughly. When mushrooms are done, add all remaining ingredients except shrimp, parsley and dill and stir constantly until sauce coats back of a spoon.

Reduce heat to minimum; add shrimp, parsley and dill and combine well. Heat through, about three minutes. Serve immediately over white rice. Garnish with parsley.