Read Online The Minimalist Cooks Dinner by Mark Bittman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mark Bittman
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half
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro Minced chiles or crushed red pepper flakes, optional
½ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts, optional
Put the shrimp in a saucepan with salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque in the center. Cool in the refrigerator or under cold running water, then peel (and devein if you like). Cut the shrimp in half if they’re large.
To make the dressing, combine the nam pla or soy with 2 tablespoons water, the sugar, and lime juice and blend or whisk until smooth.
Arrange the lettuce on four plates and top each portion with a few grapefruit pieces, some shrimp, and the mint and cilantro. Drizzle with the dressing, then sprinkle with a little chile and chopped peanuts, if you like, or pass them at the table.
WINE
Beer or not-too-dry Riesling or Gewürztraminer
SERVE WITH
Cold Noodles with Sesame (or Peanut) Sauce or Stir-Fried Coconut Noodles
Keys To SUCCESS
USE GOOD SHRIMP —Pacific or Gulf whites are the best, though the less expensive and widely available tiger shrimp are acceptable—and buy them big, because you’ll have fewer to peel. If you trust your fishmonger, you can even buy precooked, prepeeled shrimp, and save yourself a lot of trouble.
THE BEST WAY to retain the juices of the grapefruit is to peel and section it as you would an orange, not by cutting it in half and scooping out the flesh as you would to serve it at the table. Remove as much of the tough white pith as you can before cutting each section in two, which you should do just before assembling the salad.
With MINIMAL Effort
Grilled Shrimp and Grapefruit Salad: Grill the shrimp, plain or basted with a flavorful sauce, like a combination of lime, ginger, garlic, soy, and peanut oil.
| Substitute Thai basil for either the mint or cilantro, or add it to the mix.
Cold Poached Shrimp
with Marjoram “Pesto”
TIME: 30 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings
To make Italian-style herb pastes—like pesto—you take a great deal of a single herb (if you combine them you muddy the flavor) and pulverize it with olive oil and seasonings. The olive oil should be good, the seasonings should include salt, pepper, and garlic, and the rest of the guidelines are quite flexible. The idea, as with the familiar basil-based pesto, is to preserve, intensify, and complement the flavor of the herb, not transform or overwhelm it. Here’s a paste based on marjoram, an unheralded herb that grows well in much of the country and can be found almost any place fresh herbs are sold. It perfectly complements cold poached shrimp.
1½ pounds shrimp, preferably not peeled
Salt
2 cups fresh marjoram, leaves and small stems only
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon capers
2 anchovy fillets, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the shrimp in a saucepan with water to cover and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat; let the shrimp cool in the water for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque in the center. Rinse under cold running water until cool. Peel (and devein if you like), then arrange on a platter.
Combine the marjoram and garlic in a blender or small food processor. Process until finely minced, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula once or twice if necessary. Add the vinegar and most of the oil and process until smooth.
Add the capers and anchovies, if using, and pulse the machine on and off a few times; you want to mince, not puree, the mixture, so don’t overprocess.
Stir in the remaining oil, along with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the sauce with the cold shrimp.
WINE
A white Burgundy or a nicely oaked California Chardonnay
SERVE WITH
This salad can be built into a whole meal by garnishing it with an assortment of raw and partly cooked and chilled vegetables and other foods, like carrots, celery, artichokes, red bell
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro Minced chiles or crushed red pepper flakes, optional
½ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts, optional
Put the shrimp in a saucepan with salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque in the center. Cool in the refrigerator or under cold running water, then peel (and devein if you like). Cut the shrimp in half if they’re large.
To make the dressing, combine the nam pla or soy with 2 tablespoons water, the sugar, and lime juice and blend or whisk until smooth.
Arrange the lettuce on four plates and top each portion with a few grapefruit pieces, some shrimp, and the mint and cilantro. Drizzle with the dressing, then sprinkle with a little chile and chopped peanuts, if you like, or pass them at the table.
WINE
Beer or not-too-dry Riesling or Gewürztraminer
SERVE WITH
Cold Noodles with Sesame (or Peanut) Sauce or Stir-Fried Coconut Noodles
Keys To SUCCESS
USE GOOD SHRIMP —Pacific or Gulf whites are the best, though the less expensive and widely available tiger shrimp are acceptable—and buy them big, because you’ll have fewer to peel. If you trust your fishmonger, you can even buy precooked, prepeeled shrimp, and save yourself a lot of trouble.
THE BEST WAY to retain the juices of the grapefruit is to peel and section it as you would an orange, not by cutting it in half and scooping out the flesh as you would to serve it at the table. Remove as much of the tough white pith as you can before cutting each section in two, which you should do just before assembling the salad.
With MINIMAL Effort
Grilled Shrimp and Grapefruit Salad: Grill the shrimp, plain or basted with a flavorful sauce, like a combination of lime, ginger, garlic, soy, and peanut oil.
| Substitute Thai basil for either the mint or cilantro, or add it to the mix.
Cold Poached Shrimp
with Marjoram “Pesto”
TIME: 30 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings
To make Italian-style herb pastes—like pesto—you take a great deal of a single herb (if you combine them you muddy the flavor) and pulverize it with olive oil and seasonings. The olive oil should be good, the seasonings should include salt, pepper, and garlic, and the rest of the guidelines are quite flexible. The idea, as with the familiar basil-based pesto, is to preserve, intensify, and complement the flavor of the herb, not transform or overwhelm it. Here’s a paste based on marjoram, an unheralded herb that grows well in much of the country and can be found almost any place fresh herbs are sold. It perfectly complements cold poached shrimp.
1½ pounds shrimp, preferably not peeled
Salt
2 cups fresh marjoram, leaves and small stems only
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon capers
2 anchovy fillets, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the shrimp in a saucepan with water to cover and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat; let the shrimp cool in the water for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque in the center. Rinse under cold running water until cool. Peel (and devein if you like), then arrange on a platter.
Combine the marjoram and garlic in a blender or small food processor. Process until finely minced, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula once or twice if necessary. Add the vinegar and most of the oil and process until smooth.
Add the capers and anchovies, if using, and pulse the machine on and off a few times; you want to mince, not puree, the mixture, so don’t overprocess.
Stir in the remaining oil, along with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the sauce with the cold shrimp.
WINE
A white Burgundy or a nicely oaked California Chardonnay
SERVE WITH
This salad can be built into a whole meal by garnishing it with an assortment of raw and partly cooked and chilled vegetables and other foods, like carrots, celery, artichokes, red bell
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