New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp

I'm usually not a fan of spicy things, but boy was this tasty!   I really recommend making it spicy.  Add lots of salt and cayenne in the end.  I don't know why, but this dish is so, so, so yummy and especially flavorful when spicy.  It's adapted from America's Test Kitchen, who have never failed to impress me with their recipes. Here's the description on the recipe:

We started by determining the best cooking method for our version of New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp; in this case, searing the shrimp first, then sautéing the aromatics before returning the shrimp to the skillet to gently finish cooking in the rich sauce proved best. Sautéing the aromatics with some tomato paste enriched the sauce—the paste also reinforced the “barbecue" color.

To thicken the sauce, we turned to a classic New Orleans technique for thickening: starting the sauce with a roux. A bit of flour added to the sautéing aromatics created a sauce that was thick enough to coat the shrimp. Instead of a time-consuming seafood stock, we used bottled clam juice as the base for our sauce. To round out the liquid, tasters preferred mellow beer to acidic wine.

Seems like they know what they're talking about...am I right?  They also said: although authentic barbecue shrimp is always made with shell-on shrimp, peeled and deveined shrimp may be used. Light- or medium-bodied beers work best here. Serve with Tabasco sauce and French bread, if desired.

Definitely serve this wish French bread!!  It does a wonderful job of soaking up all of the yummy sauce.  I wish I had made more of this to have as leftovers...but there were none left!

Ingredients:

• 2pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled (21-25 per pound)
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 2teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1teaspoon tomato paste
• 1teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1/2teaspoon dried oregano
• 3garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4cup bottled clam juice
• 1/2cup beer
• 1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•                       Additional salt, cayenne pepper
•                       Hot sauce (optional)

Instructions: 

• 1. Sear shrimp: Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and cayenne. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of shrimp, without moving, until spotty brown on one side, about 1 minute; transfer to large plate. Repeat with remaining oil and shrimp.
• 2. Make Sauce: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in empty skillet over medium heat. Add flour, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in clam juice, beer, and Worcestershire, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to boil. Return shrimp and any accumulated juices to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining butter until incorporated. Add more salt and cayenne to taste.  Serve and garnish with hot sauce if desired.

Mussels Marinara with Spaghetti

I got a cookbook for Christmas called The Best of America's Test Kitchen (here) and it's absolutely incredible.  Each recipe was tested hundreds - yes, I did just say HUNDREDS - of times, so [every single one] will turn out perfectly.  I highly recommend this cookbook.  It's seriously is the best cookbook I have ever seen.  The chefs give a step-by-step story of how they developed the recipe, and they explain the type of food and all the flavors and textures it should have and everything!  I learned more about cooking in one page than I have ever known in my entire life.  This was my first recipe out of this book, and - like expected - it turned out perfect.  The only thing I did differently was add some grated Parmesan on top for garnishing. I also got a pasta maker for Christmas, so I decided to make home made pasta for the recipe (it was my first time ever making homemade pasta, which is why the noodles in the pictures are different sizes), and altered the pasta boiling time in the cook book to suit my homemade one (fresh pasta takes about 4-5 minutes, while store bought takes about double that).  The result? Well...this is the best pasta I have ever had.  I ordered mussels marinara at a local Italian restaurant a few months ago, and it wasn't very good at all...my mom even complained after she tasted it because it tasted like it came from a can. But this was a billion times better!!  If you've never made fresh pasta, you have got to try it.  It just tastes so...fresh.  And flavorful; you can just tell that it's real, good-for-you food.  This dish actually tastes better after a few days because the homemade pasta absorbs the sauce.  But it's incredible any time you serve it.

Yield: About 6 servings


Ingredients:
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 anchovy fillet, rinsed and minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
1 pound spaghetti (see recipe below)
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
Garnish: Grated parmesan cheese (optional)


Directions:
1.  Pulse tomatoes, 1 can at a time, in food processor until coarsely chopped and no large pieces remain, 6 to 8 pulses; transfer to bowl.
2.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven (or a large pot) over medium heat until shimmering.  Stir in onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in garlic, anchovy, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in processed tomatoes and simmer gently until tomatoes no longer taste raw, about 10 minutes. 
3.  Stir in water and clam juice and bring to a rapid simmer.  Cover and simmer vigorously, stirring often, for 8 minutes.  Add the homemade pasta.  Continue cooking for another three minutes. Stir in mussels and continue to simmer vigorously, covered, until pasta is tender and mussels have opened, about 2 minutes longer.
4.  Uncover, reduce heat to low, and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil and parsley.  Cook, tossing pasta gently, until it is well coated with sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top, and serve with Garlic Toasts (here).
***if using store bought pasta, add the pasta with the water and clam juice.


For the Homemade Pasta:

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the flour, add the slightly beaten egg, water, and olive oil, and mix. Mixture should form a stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons more water.
2. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. With a pasta machine or by hand, roll dough out to desired thinness. Use machine or knife to cut into strips of desired width. Let dry at least 2 hours before using.