By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up
www.globalgourmets.ca michael@globalgourmets.ca
Garlicky Shrimp & White Beans
Spanish food like Italian food is easy on preparation relying heavily on the quality of its ingredients. This recipe is a combination of two, a delicious ragu of cannellini beans and tomatoes and the popular Spanish tapas dish of garlic shrimp. I have tried these two recipes many times and each time I am not only amazed at how easy they are to prepare, but how absolutely delicious they are every single time.
If you can find shrimp with their heads on I prefer to use these as the shrimp heads add an extra layer of flavour both in the cooking and the eating. This dish is quite rich and is very nicely complemented with a salad of bitter greens like arugula, radicchio and endives dressed with a simple lemon vinaigrette….Enjoy!
Ingredients
- fruity, full-bodied extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 5-6 fat garlic cloves, minced
- one medium shallot, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
- 2 dried chiles de arbol, or 3 dried whole red chiles
- one bay leaf
- 8 oz canned tomato (preferably fire-roasted), diced
- one tablespoons tomato paste
- one cup chicken stock
- two 15 oz cans cannellini beans
- one pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup Spanish chorizo, diced (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, divided
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- slices of grilled or toasted country bread
Method
Preheat the broiler. In a small bowl, add the shrimp, two tablespoons olive oil, 1/3 of the garlic, one teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Mix and set aside.
In a cast-iron pan or another heavy, ovenproof skillet, warm two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat with the remaining garlic, shallot, chiles, bay leaf and a healthy pinch of salt. Stir until fragrant (be careful not to brown the garlic), about 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and a pinch of salt, stirring and smashing the tomatoes until they break down into a thick sauce, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook, about 3 minutes. Add the beans, chicken
(Adapted from a recipe originally appearing in Bon Apetit)
