Shrimp, take two.

Yesterday, I decided I would try again on a shrimp dish for one. Thankfully this one turned out quite good. The following is a slight adaptation of a recipe I found on the Food Network (it won't be the last one you see here) of Nigella Lawson's "Shrimp with Garlic and Chili Pepper." The only thing I changed was the use of a fresh red chili. I substituted dried red pepper flakes since the grocery store was out of red chilies. I'm pretty sure it turned out just as good.

Spicy Garlic Shrimp for One

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 fresh red chili, minced OR 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 - 3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 pound unshelled medium shrimp
1/2 cup white wine
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Pour olive oil into a wide, heavy-bottomed frying pan. Then add the chili flakes and garlic and, over moderate to low heat, fry for two minutes, stirring all the time.

2. Turn heat to high, add the shrimp, and fry for another two minutes or until they turn pink and are just cooked.

3. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble up about one more minute or so.

4. Season with salt, then turn into your bowl (hell, you can eat this right of the pan if you want to), and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Eat with a few hunks of baguette -- half the enjoyment of a dish like this is dipping your bread in the sauce!


Suggested accompaniments for this dish:
French Baguette
Fresh ear of corn
Mixed greens salad with goat cheese, pine nuts and tomatoes with Paul Newman's Basalmic Vinaigrette

NOTES: Points of interest, that may or may not be useful... (probably more so to those that don't cook much, and less so to those that do.)

Parsley. I've heard several chefs/cooks attest to the fact that Italian flat leaf parsley is better than curly leaf. While I am inclined to agree with this, if curly leaf is what you have in the fridge, use what you got. The difference in taste is minor and in a dish like this, we're mainly going for the fresh green color to brighten things up.

Wine. I used an inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc (RH Phillips on sale for $9.99). As Ina Garten from Barefoot Contessa would say, don't cook with any wine you wouldn't mind drinking. I'm not particularly picky in this category -- my budget won't allow for it at this point in my life! Any dry white wine will do.

Garlic. If dealing with a fresh head of garlic is not something you're accustomed to, pick up a small jar of pre-chopped garlic. These can usually be found somewhere in the produce section of your grocery store. If my memory serves me right, 1/2 teaspoon = 1 fresh clove of garlic. Buying the jar is obviously more expensive than buying a head (say like $3 vs. $1), but it does save a little prep time.

Shrimp. I like to buy the "easy peel" shrimp if they are available. This means the guy behind the fish counter has already taken care of de-veining the little buggers (shells are still on, which is what you want). That said, I've eaten plenty of shrimp in my day that was not de-veined and have been just fine, so go with whatever is available.

Salt. When I cook, I like to use kosher salt because it has a little more flavor, but again, use what you have on hand.

What did this meal cost me?
1/2 pound shrimp: $4.87
wine: $9.99
baguette: $.99
corn: $.25
tomatoes (bought two): $2.83
goat cheese: $3.99
spring mixed greens: $2.50
Total: $25.42

(Items I didn't need to purchase: garlic, olive oil, pine nuts)

Obviously, any time you add alcohol to the mix, it's going to up your grocery bill, but if you don't drink the bottle down in one evening, you'll be able to enjoy a glass here or there for the rest of the week. Same goes for salad ingredients.