Keeping it Fresh Friday: Perfect Pan-Sear Shrimp

I love shrimp as an easy dinner option.  It cooks up so super quick and everyone in my family loves it. I've cooked it so many ways but this week discovered the optimal way to prepare shrimp.  The shrimp were caramelized on the outside, so tender on the inside, and not at all mushy.  Thanks America's Test Kitchen for sharing this article in your publication, Cook's Illustrated!  I'll give you the recipe as they have written it, with the basic directions for pan-seared shrimp, followed by three glazes.  We picked the chipotle-lime glaze and it was amazing. 

How to Pan-Sear Shrimp:
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/8 t. sugar

1.  Heat 1 T. oil in 12" skillet over high heat until smoking.  Meanwhile, toss shrimp, salt, pepper and sugar in medium bowl. 

2.  Add half of the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 1 min.  Remove pan from heat; using tongs, flip each shrimp and let stand until all but very center is opaque, about 30 sec.  Transfer shrimp to large plate.  Repeat with remaining 1 T. of oil and shrimp.

3.  After second batch has stood off heat, return first batch to skillet and toss to combine.  Add glaze, if using, and toss.  Cover skillet and let stand until shrimp are cooked through, 1-2 min.  Serve immediately. 


How to Make Garlic-Lemon Butter:
Ingredients:
3 T. softened unsalted butter
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. chopped parsley
1/8 t. salt

Beat butter with fork until light and fluffy.  Stir in garlic, lemon juice, parsley and salt until combined.  Add to shrimp when returning first batch to skillet.

How to Make Ginger-Hoisin Glaze:
Ingredients:
2 T. hoisin sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 1/2 t. soy sauce
 2 t. fresh grated ginger
2 t. water
 2 scallions, sliced thin

Stir together all ingredients.  Add to shrimp when returning first batch to skillet.


How to Make Chipotle-Lime Glaze:
Ingredients:
1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced
2 t. adobo sauce from chipotle can
4 t. brown sugar
2 T. lime juice
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together all ingredients.  Add to shrimp when returning first batch to skillet.


Suggested sides: Serve shrimp on a bed of rice, with Fresh Cilantro-Lime Corn (see Keeping It Fresh Friday: Summer at its Peak, July 2011)


Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated magazine. 

Strawberry Cream Cake and Frank 'n Mac

My oldest son celebrated the anniversary of his baptism last week.  This is a tradition that my parents started, to make a special day out of the birthday in which we were born into Christ's Church.  N. got to pick whatever he wanted for dinner that night.

This is how we ended up with the menu we did.  In order of N.'s own priorities we had: stawberry cream cake, mac and cheese with hot dogs added, and tomato-cucumber salad.

So that brings me to a very important question, at least from the point of view of a mother of toddlers.  What is your favorite mac and cheese mix-ins?  I grew up thinking my dad was the king of mac and cheese with tuna, tomatoes and peas.  Usually we just throw in whatever is hanging around the fridge.  This is how I discovered that Candian bacon and roasted red peppers are a nice combo.  But what is your favorite, the add-ins you actually plan on adding in?


Oh, and the cake recipe.  I made it as a 4 layer, 6" round, halving the recipe.  Its a very tall cake so the full 9" round can serve 16-24 easily.  If you live in Colorado, Wyoming or New Mexico and want the altitude adjustments, please comment to let me know to include them. 

How to Make Strawberry Cream Cake:
For the Strawberry Cream Frosting:
Ingredients:
1 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, room temp.
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. strawberry jam
1/2 c. chilled heavy whipping cream

1. Using mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, stopping to scrap down the sides of the bowl.  Beat in sugar, then jam.

2.  Beat cream in medium bowl until peaks form.  Fold whipping cream into frosting.  Cover and chill until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.


For the cake:

Ingredients:
3 c. cake flour
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3 c. sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
7 large eggs
2 T. vanilla extract
1 c. sour cream
6 T. plus 1/3 c. strawberry jam

1. Butter bottom of two 9" cake pans with 2" high sides.  Line with parchment paper.  Butter and flour pans.  Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into medium bowl.  Using mixer, beat sugar and butter until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Beat in vanilla.  Add sour cream, beating for 30 sec.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating to blend after each addition.  Divide batter between prepared pans.

2.  Bake cakes until tester comes out clean, about 50 min.  Cool in pan on rack 10 min.  Run small sharp knife around sides of pans and turn out onto cooling racks.  Cool completely. 

3.  Using large serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half.  Place 1 cake on cake plate.  Spread 2 T. strawberry jam over and top with another cake layer.  Repeat 2 more time with the next two layers.  Top with top layer.  Spread frosting over top and sides.  Spoon teaspoons of jam onto the top and sides and lightly spread over the frosting to give it a slightly glazed look.  Refrigerate cake if not served immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine May 2009, adapted from J. Morgan's Steakhouse in Montpelier, VT