We are sort of in between seasons, so it’s hard to cook something that feels timely. It’s a little late for a hearty soup, stew or gumbo, and not quite grilling season either. My fall-back position is always seafood. It’s not too light and not too heavy but can be warming (on a gray day) and there are lots of simple and affordable recipes.
Perhaps my favorite is a shrimp omelet. All it takes is lots of butter, fresh shrimp and eggs, and your favorite melting cheese. The only challenge with a shrimp omelet, is that if you are not careful, you might end up with shrimp and scrambled eggs. Folding an omelet over takes a little practice. If you are a real pro, and use the French method, you fold it over (once it is not runny, but lightly set) by tilting the pan and giving it a quick shake, but that method really does take some practice. It’s ok to cheat a little bit and use a spatula, just make sure that the eggs have cooked enough to be firm and have the texture to hold together.
A shrimp boil is pretty easy to put together as well. Some of the prepared seafood boil seasonings are pretty good, but jazzing it up a bit sure helps a lot. Mix water (or stock) with the seasoning, then add a chopped carrot or two, roughly diced jalapenos (as many as you can stand), a chopped red onion, and if you really want to go all out, add a leek or two. Bring to a boil for thirty minutes and then turn off and cover. Let it sit for at least an hour (overnight is even better). When you are ready to cook the shrimp, bring the stock to a rolling boil, add the shrimp, then add as much ice as the pot will hold to stop them from overcooking, and remove from the heat. Drain, place news paper on the table and pour the shrimp on top. Serve with sliced lemon and hot sauce of your choice.
Another very simple way to cook peeled shrimp is to sauté them in lots of garlic butter with lots of Tony’s and a good pinch or two of red pepper flakes. Serve with French bread for dipping in all that delicious garlic butter.
My rule of thumb is the larger the shrimp, the better!
