Peruvian Salt Roasted Shrimp with Pimenton Aioli

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had planned to do a lot of Peruvian cooking before our October Amazon adventure began, but it seems the universe, or at least the clock, has conspired against me. I've only made a few of the dishes I intended to try, but, hopefully, they'll give the Silver Fox and me a real sense of what's to come. The recipe I'm featuring tonight came from an article written by John Broening for The Denver Post. The recipe, and the unusual technique used to cook the shrimp, was given to him by an uncle who lives in Peru, where the dish would be made with langoustines. In order to make this dish, you'll need a cast iron skillet, large unpeeled shrimp and a boatload of Kosher salt. The shrimp go into a hot skillet to which no oil has been added. They are covered with kosher salt and allowed to cook for several minutes on each side. As they cook, the salt forms a crust that keeps the shrimp super moist and flavorful. The shells, which remain on the shrimp as they cook, keep them from becoming too salty. Once they are cool enough to handle, the salt is brushed off and the shrimp are peeled. They are served with a fabulous quick-fix aioli that I know you will enjoy. This is a wonderfully flavorful dish that almost had my socks going up and down. I am withholding that accolade only because peeling the cooked shrimp is a real bother. I liked this dish enormously and I'll fix it again. I think those of you who try the shrimp will like them as much as I do. Here's the recipe.

Peruvian Salt Roasted Shrimp with Pimenton Aioli...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of John Broening and the Denver Post

Ingredients:
Pimenton Aioli
Juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper
1 cup canola oil
Salt Roasted Shrimp
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, unpeeled, intestine removed
2 cups kosher salt
Lemon wedges

Directions:
1) To make aioli: Purée lemon juice, egg yolks, garlic, paprika, hot sauce, and salt and pepper in a food processor. Add canola oil slowly with processor running to emulsify. Refrigerate aioli, covered, until ready to use.
2) To make shrimp: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add enough shrimp to fill pan so the pan is full but the shrimp are not touching. Generously sprinkle exposed surface of shrimp with salt and cook for three minutes. Turn, and sprinkle with a little more salt. Cook 2 minutes and remove to a platter. Repeat procedure until all shrimp are cooked. Serve family-style with smoked paprika aioli and lemon wedges. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

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Mussels Fra Diavola

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a wonderful dish that I love to make at least once during the Christmas holiday. If I were Italian and celebrated the Feast of Seven Fishes, I would include it in my menu for Christmas Eve. That would raise an eyebrow or two because the dish, like vodka sauce for pasta, is an Italian-American creation that is rarely served in Italy. Whatever the origin, mussels prepared in this fashion are a memorable, if messy, treat. Whenever I serve these, I cover the table with vinyl or oilcloth and distribute lobster bibs. It also helps to provide a large bowl or two to hold empty shells. Everyone at the table also receives two dish towels, one damp, the other dry. Only a crab boil is messier than this to serve to folks who eat with gusto. Believe me when I say, my folk have cornered the gusto market and these preparations are a necessity rather than an affectation. Once the mussels have been scrubbed and their beards removed, the dish can be made in minutes. Its heat, the alla diavola, comes from red pepper flakes, so you can manage it to your family's liking as long as you know their tolerance for heat. The dish has just three elements, a spicy red sauce, mussels and linguine. The mussels simmer in sauce and when they open they are served along with the sauce over piping hot linguine. I always serve this with a salad and the best Italian bread I can get my hands on. I do hope you'll try mussels prepared in this fashion. They really are delicious. Here's the recipe.

Mussels Fra Diavola...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:
12 garlic cloves, minced (1/3 cup)
3/4 to 1-1/2 teaspoons dried hot red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1/4 cup drained bottled capers
1/2 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 lb dried linguine
3 lb mussels (preferably cultivated), cleaned (see cooks' note, below)

Directions:
1) Cook garlic and red pepper flakes in oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with purée, tomato paste, herbs, capers, olives, and wine and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes, until sauce is thick, about 15 minutes.
2) Cook linguine in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain in a colander.
3) While pasta cooks, increase heat under sauce to moderately high and add mussels, then cook, covered, until mussels just open wide, checking frequently after 3 minutes and transferring to a bowl. (Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 6 minutes.)
4) Serve linguine with mussels and sauce. Yield: 6 servings.

Cooks' note:
1) Scrub mussels with a brush under cold water and scrape off any barnacles with a knife. Remove beard by pulling it from tip to hinge or by pulling and cutting it off with knife.
2) Tomato sauce, without mussels, can be made and refrigerated 2 days before serving.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Salt Cod and Tomato Stew - One Perfect Bite
Feast of the Seven Fishes - Italian Food Forever
Broiled Mussels - Smitten Kitchen
Sauteed Mussels with Garlic - The Housewife Diet
Flexing My Mussels - Charm and Salt
Moules Mariniere - One Perfect Bite
Coconut Curry Mussels - Simply Recipes
Spicy Mussels in White Wine - The Culinary Chronicles
Mario Batali's Feast of the Seven Fishes - Epicurious

Clam Fritters

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I found this recipe several weeks ago while searching for dishes that would allow me to use the large cans of chopped clams found in warehouse stores. It was originally developed by Craig Claiborne, a prolific food writer and editor at The New York Times. He called the recipe Bonacker-Style Clam Fritters and considered it to be a perfect example of authentic American cooking. Bonacker is the name given to natives of the East Hampton, Long Island. Fortunately, this dish had been featured at Saveur.com and I was able to retrieve the original recipe from their files. I wanted to make the dish as it was written, the only substitution being the use of canned for fresh clams. The most difficult part of this exercise was determining how much meat would actually be harvested from 4 dozen cherrystone clams. Available search engines failed me, so I splashed water on my face, put on some lipstick and went for a chat with my guys at the fish market. Based on the assumption that all the cherrystones were the same middling size, the guys were certain - certain mind you - that I'd need 2-1/2 cups of chopped canned meat to equal the amount that I'd get from freshly shucked clams. It, of course, took another 20 minutes to explain why I was going through the exercise in the first place and by the time I left the market I wasn't quite sure why myself. At any rate, I made it home and we had great fritters for dinner. These are less doughy than most I've had and I really enjoyed them. I think you might too. Here's the recipe.

Clam Fritters (Bonacker-Style Clam Fritters)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Craig Claiborne and Saveur

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1⁄3 cup clam juice
1⁄4 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
Pinch cayenne
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2-1/2 cups coarsely chopped, drained clams
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Whisk in eggs, lemon juice, clam juice, milk, butter, and cayenne, whisking until batter is smooth. Add parsley and clams, then season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
2) Add vegetable oil to a heavy skillet, to a depth of 1⁄8-inch, and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, spoon about 2 tablespoons of clam batter for each fritter into hot oil. (Work in batches and avoid crowding pan.) Fry until golden on one side, then turn fritters and continue frying about 2 minutes more. Make sure fritters are cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: 16 fritters.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Linguine and Clams with Garlic White Wine Sauce - The Red Spoon
Cuban Clam Fritters with Cilantro Mayo - Lazaro Cooks
Spaghetti Frutti di Mare - Cooking-Gallery
Clams and Mussels in Tomato Broth - Mangiandobene
Clams with Green Peppers Tomatoes and Wine - My Mediterranean Diet
Karin's Curried Clam Pie - Pithy and Cleaver
Italian White or Red Seafood Chowder - What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine