Unctious Shrimp and Scallops

Shrimp go so well with other seafood such as scallops and calamari, and pair very well with vegetables of all sorts. Here are a few examples of unctious mixes of shrimp with delicious other partners.

Don't forget to extract all the flavors you can from the shells - they really add a lot to a broth or sauce - just boil the shells in a bit of water and use in place of broth.

Shrimp and Scallop Risotto with Asparagus
1 cup Arborio Italian short-grained rice
1 cup white wine
3-4 cups chicken stock
½ lb shrimp, shelled, cut in half (reserve shells)
1½ cup water
½ lb. bay scallops
1 bunch asparagus
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
½ stick butter, sliced

In a small saucepan, bring shrimp shells to a boil in water. Reduce heat. Simmer until reduced in half. Strain broth.

Meanwhile, sauté rice in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil until all grains are coated will and rice begins to turn white from translucent. Add half the wine and continue stirring until wine is absorbed. Repeat with remaining wine, and then the broth. Continue the same liquid additions and stirring until thick and creamy with remaining ½ cup portions of broth stirring the rice continuously, until the rice is just al dente – use only as much stock as is necessary.

Cut last inch off of base of asparagus and cut stalks into thirds. asparagus and simmer until asparagus is just tender, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and scallops along with butter and cheese. Continue cooking until all butter is incorporated and risotto is creamy. Adjust thickness with broth or cream.

Serves 4.


Shrimp Etouffée1 lb. large shrimp, shelled with shells reserved
2 cups water
1 small bay leaf
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ lb. Andouille or Linguica sausage, diced
2 Tbsp. sundried tomatoes
¼ cup flour
¼ cup canola oil
¼ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. dried Italian herbs
¼ tsp. red cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. powdered white pepper

Mix shrimp shells with water and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while proceeding with the rest of the dish.

Sauté onion, pepper and celery in a bit of canola oil until vegetables soften and begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage and tomatoes. Continue cooking over low heat.

In a separate saucepan cook the flour in the oil until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes, to make a roux. Strain shells from broth and make broth up to 1½ cups if necessary with clam juice, chicken broth, or water. Add most of the broth to the roux whisking continuously, until smooth. Continue cooking over high heat until sauce thickens, adding broth as necessary to achieve a desirable thickness. Add herbs, mixing well. Toss vegetables and shrimp into sauce. Bring back to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are just pink. Serve over Rice.

Serves 4.

Shrimp Asparagus and Artichoke with Linguine1 lb shrimp, shelled
1 bunch asparagus
1 can artichoke hears, drained and quartered
jest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
½ stick butter, sliced
1 cup chicken stock or clam juice
1 lb linguine

Cook linguine in plenty of salted water until al dente.

Meanwhile heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet until smoking. Add shrimp and shake a bit until one side is cooked. Stir shrimp and cook other side only until shrimp is just pink. Remove shrimp aside to a bowl. Melt butter in pan and add asparagus to pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until asparagus just begin to soften. Add jest and juice of lemon along with stock or clam juice. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp and artichoke and mix well to heat through. Salt an pepper to taste.

Drain linguine and toss with shrimp mixture in a large serving platter.

Serves 6.


Seafood Alfredo
Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. canola oil
¼ cup flour
1½ cup milk
1 tsp. dried mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash nutmeg
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb. linguine
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted and drained
½ lb. shrimp, peeled
½ lb scallops
½ lb calamari, cleaned and sliced into rings

Make the sauce. In a saucepan melt the butter with the oil and ass the flour. Whisk for a few minutes until smelling nutty. Add the milk, mustard and nutmeg and bring to a simmer, whisking until thick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Cook the linguini in a big pot of salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, Sauté the pepper in a bit of olive oil in a skillet until just softened, about 3-5 minutes. Toss the peppers, peas and seafood into the sauce. Mix well and cook just until shrimp turn pink. Drain the linguine and tip into a large serving bowl. Pour seafood Alfredo sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serves 4-6.