MMMmmmm. Alison, that Prawny-type-starter-dish sounds good. Me and my aunt whooped up a recipe, very similar to it....GRANTED, it's not as compatable with as many other side servings as yours is, and it's more of an entree, Alison...But on the right kind of night, it goes well with a good amber beer, or maybe some red wine. A simple walnut oil and balsamic vinegar salad with feta does it some justice, too.
It's a pasta dish, and being from Texas, we like our food hot-hot-hot!
This works well with shrimp, lobster, prawns, crawdads, scallops, or squirrel (just kidding, I said I was from Texas, not Arkansas!).
You kind of have to be moderately comfy with cooking, so judging portions by eye is the name of the game. Do what looks right, how much flavor and spices your guests can tolerate, how much you'll think they'll eat, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.....
It's pretty simple.
Boil a big pot'o'water and throw about a small teaspoon of sea salt in there. Get'er bubblin' and have fresh or dried spaghetti on standby. (also works well with linguini, or other noodly-type...uh...noodles)
In a big ol' deep sauce skillet, pour some olive oil (I prefer dark, for flavor) and start heating up a heap of finely chopped Chipotle peppers, not to sizzle, just to infuse with the oil, and wilt the peppers a bit more than they are.
Add about 2-3 cloves of finely minced garlic and throw'em in once you have a nice, red chipotle olive oil.
Stir for about a minute. Open a bottle of a white wine. If you're anything like my family, there's already one open long before dinner.
Winos.
I'm typically a scratch cook in a half-stocked kitchen, so I'm not picky about what wine I use in recipes, but then I suppose it does make a bit if a difference. Your judgment, really.
(Presentation tips: It's best when uncorking a previously opened bottle of wine, to do so with one's teeth. Bite the cork in the side of one's mouth like a stubby cigar. When someone approaches the cook to inquire when the meal will be served, the cook can show immediate dissaproval by puffing cheeks, then popping cork in the nuisance's face with a blank look of disinterest. Best done before peers to establish dominance as food preparer, and to dispense with any other possible annoyances)
ANYHOO, splash some vino in the skillet, and turn up the heat to get it bubblin' just a bit. You don't want to totally reduce the wine, as it gives the chipotle that slight sting that I love in lots of pepper dishes.
Get that spaghetti goin' about........now.
Now's the time when the shrimp (or whatever floats your boat) serve their higher purpose in the grand scheme of things.
Send the lot'of'em into the skillet and mix into the simple sauce, they'll quickly become a light pink and start to do their stomach crunches...a little late to try and keep up appearances, don't you think?.
Turn off the heat and cover'em with a lid. Stir a couple'o'times after turning the boiling water off, to keep them soakin' up that chipotle sauce.
That spaghetti shouldn't take long. I don't like my spaghetti terribly soft. I like some texture to mine (I'm not talking about crunchy, just something you can feel your molars sink into, rather). Drain the noodles and pour the chipotle sauce and squirrel...oops...I mean shrimp into the spaghetti pot. Stir it up.
Ideally served with a sparse topping of parsley. I'm not big on putting shredded Parmesian on everything, but it's not bad with just a pinch of it.
Now, not everyone's from Texas (God bless'em) and I suppose them Euro-pean-types like usin' their manners...wearin' shoes at the table and what not.
If you don't like shoveling food from the edge of the plate into your mouth, I've found that a warm Ciabatta or bone bread, lightly buttered or not, makes a good noodle-pusher for the goody-goodies who actually use silverware.
Tune in next week, where I show you how to make lovely Squid Wellington....
er, maybe not...
Keep your tummies full and your lungs dry.
It's a pasta dish, and being from Texas, we like our food hot-hot-hot!
This works well with shrimp, lobster, prawns, crawdads, scallops, or squirrel (just kidding, I said I was from Texas, not Arkansas!).
You kind of have to be moderately comfy with cooking, so judging portions by eye is the name of the game. Do what looks right, how much flavor and spices your guests can tolerate, how much you'll think they'll eat, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.....
It's pretty simple.
Boil a big pot'o'water and throw about a small teaspoon of sea salt in there. Get'er bubblin' and have fresh or dried spaghetti on standby. (also works well with linguini, or other noodly-type...uh...noodles)
In a big ol' deep sauce skillet, pour some olive oil (I prefer dark, for flavor) and start heating up a heap of finely chopped Chipotle peppers, not to sizzle, just to infuse with the oil, and wilt the peppers a bit more than they are.
Add about 2-3 cloves of finely minced garlic and throw'em in once you have a nice, red chipotle olive oil.
Stir for about a minute. Open a bottle of a white wine. If you're anything like my family, there's already one open long before dinner.
Winos.
I'm typically a scratch cook in a half-stocked kitchen, so I'm not picky about what wine I use in recipes, but then I suppose it does make a bit if a difference. Your judgment, really.
(Presentation tips: It's best when uncorking a previously opened bottle of wine, to do so with one's teeth. Bite the cork in the side of one's mouth like a stubby cigar. When someone approaches the cook to inquire when the meal will be served, the cook can show immediate dissaproval by puffing cheeks, then popping cork in the nuisance's face with a blank look of disinterest. Best done before peers to establish dominance as food preparer, and to dispense with any other possible annoyances)
ANYHOO, splash some vino in the skillet, and turn up the heat to get it bubblin' just a bit. You don't want to totally reduce the wine, as it gives the chipotle that slight sting that I love in lots of pepper dishes.
Get that spaghetti goin' about........now.
Now's the time when the shrimp (or whatever floats your boat) serve their higher purpose in the grand scheme of things.
Send the lot'of'em into the skillet and mix into the simple sauce, they'll quickly become a light pink and start to do their stomach crunches...a little late to try and keep up appearances, don't you think?.
Turn off the heat and cover'em with a lid. Stir a couple'o'times after turning the boiling water off, to keep them soakin' up that chipotle sauce.
That spaghetti shouldn't take long. I don't like my spaghetti terribly soft. I like some texture to mine (I'm not talking about crunchy, just something you can feel your molars sink into, rather). Drain the noodles and pour the chipotle sauce and squirrel...oops...I mean shrimp into the spaghetti pot. Stir it up.
Ideally served with a sparse topping of parsley. I'm not big on putting shredded Parmesian on everything, but it's not bad with just a pinch of it.
Now, not everyone's from Texas (God bless'em) and I suppose them Euro-pean-types like usin' their manners...wearin' shoes at the table and what not.
If you don't like shoveling food from the edge of the plate into your mouth, I've found that a warm Ciabatta or bone bread, lightly buttered or not, makes a good noodle-pusher for the goody-goodies who actually use silverware.
Tune in next week, where I show you how to make lovely Squid Wellington....
er, maybe not...
Keep your tummies full and your lungs dry.
