Wood-Roasted Lemon-Red Chile Shrimp with Cabbage Salad
RECIPE
Big Heads-On Shrimp: Perfect for Outdoor Dining
For this dish, I prefer using big, fat heads-on shrimp and letting everyone peel their own at the table. It’s perfect for outdoor dining. The salad isn’t necessary to complete the meal, but I enjoy its refreshing contrast with the spicy shrimp. An artisanal sparkling cider pairs wonderfully with the shrimp, complementing the spice and citrus flavors.
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 pounds of jumbo (U15) shrimp (See note)
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
2 hot red chiles, stemmed and cut crosswise into thin slices
2 shallots, minced
2 shallots, minced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro
Cabbage Salad (recipe follows)
Sourdough bread for serving
Making the Shrimp:
1. If you are lucky enough to have one, build a hot fire in a wood-fired oven; alternatively, preheat the oven to 450.F.
2. Combine the shrimp with the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, chiles, and shallots in a roasting pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
3. Uncover, season with salt and pepper, and roast for about 8 minutes or until the shrimp are bright pink.
4. Stir in the butter, scallions, and parsley. Serve immediately with the salad on the side and some warm sourdough bread to sop up the juices.
Note: In California, I have learned that small shrimp are called “shrimp” and large ones “prawns,” while in New York all sizes are called shrimp. For simplicity, I stick with the New York terminology. The numbers that follow a pound of shrimp indicate how many you can expect to be in a pound of a given size—U15 simply means that a pound will yield 15 or under meaty shrimp. (The “U” stands for “under.”)
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1/2 large green cabbage, cored and julienned
1 red onion
1 bulb fennel, trimmed of tough stalks
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Making the Cabbage Salad:
1. Place the cabbage in a large salad bowl.
2. Peel the onion and cut lengthwise in half. Cut each half crosswise into very thin slices. Add the onion to the cabbage.
3. Trim the fennel of any brown spots and cut lengthwise in half. Remove the core and cut each half crosswise into very thin slices. Add the fennel to the cabbage and onion, tossing to blend the vegetables together.
4. Combine the lemon zest, juice, and mustard in a small mixing bowl, whisking to blend well. Slowly add the oil, whisking until well emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.