May 11th - Shrimp night

Yummy. Tonight was shrimp night. I joked on Facebook that "shrimp" indicates the featured menu ingredient and not the stature of our guests. :) For a meal centered on shrimp, though, I didn't feel like it was too much. Definitely not a journey to Red Lobster's "Endless Shrimp." The menu included Vegetable Shrimp Cocktail; Butternut Squash Soup with Star Anise and Ginger Shrimp; Shrimp Wellington; and Roasted Asparagus. There were three sizes/types of shrimp in the meal - salad shrimp in the cocktail, large shrimp in the soup, and jumbo shrimp in the Wellington. 


I think both the shrimp cocktail and the shrimp Wellington were fantastic - probably my favorite dishes of the season so far. I had to make sauces for both that I did not originally anticipate. The shrimp cocktail called for chili sauce instead of cocktail sauce, and I really have no idea where to find such a thing in the grocery store. I did find a substitution recipe for it online though. The Wellington called for bechamel sauce. I don't know if you can actually buy that pre-made or not, but the recipe I found by Mario Batali is delicious. I seriously could have eaten it like soup (I admit - I had a few spoonfuls in the kitchen. So what if it's made of butter, milk, and flour? That's good for me, right?!) I have a bunch of bechamel sauce left over - tomorrow's goal is to figure out something to do with it. Suggestions?


Without further adieu, here are the recipes (plus the sauces) worth sharing from tonight:


Vegetable Shrimp Cocktail
From www.finedinings.com

Serves 5, generously


Coat Martini Glass Rims (or a cordial glass, whatever you have on hand)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp parsley, minced
5 martini/cordial glasses


Put lemon juice in a shallow wide soup bowl. Put minced parsley in another shallow wide soup bowl. Turn martini glass upside down and dip rim in lemon juice, then in the minced parsley to coat the glass edge; set aside. This can be done ahead.


Ingredients
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced
1/2 cup English cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
1/2 cup red or green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp green onion, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Chili Sauce (see recipe)
3/4 cup salad shrimp
5 celery sticks, 4-inches long


Preparation
In a large bowl mix celery, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, green onion, salt and pepper together, fold in the salad shrimp reserving some for the top, spoon vegetable into martini glasses.  Top each glass with 1 tablespoon chili sauce, add a celery stalk for a "swizzle stick," garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.


Chile Sauce Substitution (from www.recipezaar.com)
1 cup tomoto sauce + 1/4 cup brown sugar + 2 Tbsp vinegar + 1/4 tsp cinnamon + dash of ground cloves + dash of ground allspice = 1 cup chili sauce


Here's a picture of the bechamel sauce in the making - this is approaching the "straw color" required before adding milk:

Shrimp Wellington
(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

•      2 tablespoons olive oil
•      4 cups fresh spinach leaves
•      salt and pepper to taste
•      1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
•      4 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
•      4 ounces crabmeat, drained and flaked
•      1/4 cup bechamel sauce (see recipe)
•      1 tablespoon chopped shallots
•      1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
•      1 egg, beaten

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet 
2.      Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spinach; cook and stir until wilted, about 3 minutes.     Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess liquid; set aside.
3.      Lay the sheet of puff pastry out on a clean surface, and cut into 4 squares. Prick lightly with fork.
4.      In a medium bowl; mix crabmeat, bechamel sauce, shallots, and tarragon until well blended.
5.      Cut prawns lengthwise and open them up to form a butterfly shape. Lay one shrimp in the middle of each pastry square with open side facing up. Stuff each shrimp with an equal amount of spinach and top with a heaping tablespoon of the crab mixture. Fold over pastry to make a triangle, and press the edges to seal. Place on the baking sheet, and brush with beaten egg.
6.      Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

The parcels can be frozen prior to baking for up to 2 weeks before you need them. Thaw in refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours before baking.

Bechamel Sauce (from Food Network)



Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg


Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.


Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.


And now, last but not least... the guests for the evening - Erica Clarke, Nancy Rollman, and Steven Rollman. Erica is a first-time guest to Cafe Davis, and despite the fact that she's about to leave the 'Burg for another 'Burgh (Pittsburgh, that is), we hope she'll be back in the future. Nancy and Steven, on the other hand, are three-peaters. Nancy made a delicious dessert with strawberries, whipped cream, pecan sandies-like crunchies, and dark chocolate candy sticks. Many thanks for that! Also, just to put a plug out there for her, Nancy is a co-owner of an adorable gift boutique in Dayton called The Cottage. If you are in need for a one-of-a-kind gift, make sure you check it out! (and my apologies for posting a picture of her with her eyes closed... I guess this is why people take more than one picture most of the time).