SHRIMP AND SHRIMP AGAIN

I bought a pound of small shrimp to use as garnish for a dish I was going to photograph. In the end, I didn’t use them. So I cooked the whole, unpeeled shrimp (1 minute in boiling salted water) and put them out for a family meal for whoever was willing to peel them. My grandson Lucas and I devoured those little crustaceans. They were so sweet, so fresh.

These were the variety of shrimp known as gamba arrocera, a small, wild-caught shrimp especially esteemed on the Atlantic coast of Huelva (Andalusia), although they are also caught in the Mediterranean. They are the shrimp I remember eating in local tapa bars years ago. Always simply boiled, they were served plain and unadorned. You peeled them yourself and, in those days, dropped the shells on the floor!

Whole, raw shrimp.

Same shrimp after cooking.

Cooked, peeled and marinated in fresh lemon juice, the small shrimp go into a seafood cocktail called ceviche.

A favorite in Spanish restaurants, avocado halves with shrimp and a dollop of salsa rosa, pink cocktail sauce. This one eschews the usual ketchup. 

They are also the shrimp added to paella and other rice dishes—thus their nomenclature “arrocera.”  Cooked and peeled, they turn up in soups and in a favorite tapa bar salad, salpicón.  The small shrimp—peeled raw—were used as well in tapa bars for gambas al ajillo, or, as it was called in Málaga region, gambas al pil pil. Nowadays it’s common to use the larger langostinos. (More about varieties of shrimp/prawns here.)

Size varies. Mine were 54 shrimp (unpeeled with heads on) to the pound. The variety is also known as gamba blanca (Parapenaeus longirostris) or “white” shrimp, although it’s really a pale pink-beige color. It turns a darker rosy hue after cooking.

These fresh shrimp are best cooked immediately, then stored refrigerated. If kept raw more than a couple days, they begin to show a deepening violet/black color inside the shell of the heads. They are not spoiled!

It’s not necessary to devein the shrimp before eating them. The “vein” is perfectly edible. In larger varieties of shrimp, it can be very unsightly, so is generally removed. But, with these small ones, it’s not an issue.

I enjoyed those shrimp so much that I've bought them again. Some to serve plain--no dipping sauce, no lemon. Just shrimp. The rest I've peeled--pretty easy after they're cooked--to use in a refreshing cocktail called ceviche and with avocado and a piquant sauce.

Gambas Cocidas
Cooked Shrimp

Cooked and ready to peel and eat.

1 pound whole small shrimp
10 cups water
¼ cup salt
Bay leaf (optional)
Lemon slice (optional)
Ice water

Rinse and drain the shrimp. Bring water to a boil with the salt in a deep pot. Add bay leaf and lemon slice, if using. Have a large bowl of ice and water ready.

Add all of the shrimp to the boiling water. Return the water to a boil and remove the pot from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove shrimp and drop them into the bowl of ice water. Allow the shrimp to cool completely. Drain.

Either serve the shrimp immediately or store them, covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

To peel cooked shrimp: break off the head (suck out the delicious juices if you like). Pinch off the tail and the "legs." Unwrap the shell from the body.

Shrimp Ceviche
Cebiche de Gambas

Crunchy peppers and onions, buttery avocado, sweet shrimp and tart lemon.

Unlike some ceviche recipes, this one calls for cooked, not raw, shrimp. The shrimp need only 10 minutes in the lemon marinade.

Serves 4 as a starter.

1 cup (5 ounces) cooked and peeled small shrimp
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ small red onion, cut in thin julienne
Salt
¼ cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile, such as jalapeño
1 avocado, diced
¼ cup peeled and chopped tomato
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Shrimp in lemon juice.

Place the shrimp in a small glass bowl. Pour over the lemon juice. Let the shrimp marinate, refrigerated, for 10 minutes.

Place the thinly sliced onion in a small bowl. Add ½ teaspoon salt and cover with water. Allow the onion to soak for 10 minutes.

In a bowl combine the diced yellow pepper, green chile, avocado and olive oil. Season with salt. Drain the soaked onions and add them to the bowl. Add the shrimp and lemon juice. Add the cilantro. Mix gently. Divide the ceviche between 4 cocktail cups.

Avocado with Shrimp
Aguacate con Gambas

Serve the pink cocktail sauce on the side or---

--dollop it right on the shrimp and avocado.

Avocados
Lemon juice
Cooked and peeled shrimp
Pink Cocktail Sauce

Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Sprinkle them with lemon juice. Fill the cavities with shrimp. Place a dollop of pink cocktail sauce on top of the shrimp.

Pink Cocktail Sauce
Salsa Rosa

1 plum tomato, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon chopped onion
½ tablespoon chopped green chile, such as jalapeño
1/8 teaspoon hot pimentón (paprika) or a pinch of cayenne
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon lemon juice
Salt

Place the tomato, onion and chile in a mini processor and grind them finely. Add the pimentón, mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice and about ½ teaspoon salt. Process to make a smooth sauce.

Sauce keeps, covered and refrigerated, up to 2 days.

****

At the Feria de la Gamba (Shrimp Fair) in Cartaya (Huelva, Andalusia), 8-11 of August, two tons of shellfish will be served up. Other shrimp fairs in Punta Umbría and Isla Cristina take place at other times of the year.
****

More recipes with shrimp:

Chickpeas with Shrimp and Fish Sausage.
Baked Shrimp with Sherry.
Zucchini Tubs with Shrimp Stuffing.
Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Shrimp.
Flamenco Salad with Shrimp and Fruit.
Sizzling Garlic Shrimp with Chorizo.
Batter-Fried Shrimp.
Shrimp Boil a la Costa del Sol.
Classic Shrimp al Ajillo.
Shrimp and Fideo Noodle Salad.
Eggplant and Shrimp Rollups.
Shellfish Cocktail with Shrimp.
Rice with Shrimp and Mango.
Shrimp Cocktail with Avocado (Salpicón).
Pasta with Garlic Shrimp and Zucchini.

AN ELEGANT FISH TERRINE

At my house, summer entertaining tends to be very simple”—casual, salad meals or barbecue on the terrace. But every now and then I want something a little “dressier.” This elegant fish terrine fills the bill. 

Cold fish terrine, lovely for summer entertaining.

Prepared a day or two in advance, the terrine is served cold. It can be sliced and plated as a starter or served, like a pâté, as an apperitif, with mini-toasts to spread it on. In either case, a fruity white wine or sparkling cava goes very nicely with it.

My terrine is a variation (I´ve added chopped zucchini and carrot) of the famous pastel de cabracho of three-star Michelin chef, Juan Mari Arzak. Back in the 1970s it became a signature dish of the nouvelle cuisine Basque, according to Chef Jeffrey Weiss, who includes a recipe for Chef Arzak’s terrine in his book, CHARCUTERÍA--THE SOUL OF SPAIN (Surrey Books-Agate; 2014).

Cabracho, scorpion fish, has big flavor.

Cabracho, or scorpion fish, is an ugly fish, usually red or ruddy in color, with a bony, maily-cheeked head. But its firm flesh is white and extremely flavorful. Once considered a “trash” fish, suitable only for the stock pot (de rigueur for bouillabaisse), scorpion fish has become a sought-after fish. (In Spain, it’s also called escorpena, rascacio, polla de mar, gallineta and cap-roig.)

Redfish, rockfish and sculpins are related species and could be used in place of the scorpion fish. Or, you could use any fish you like for this terrine. Salmon would work.

Fish Terrine
Pastel de Cabracho

Slice the terrine and serve as an elegant starter.

If possible, have the fish vendor prepare the fish. Scale and gut it. Cut off and save the large, bony head. Split the head in half. Open up the body section, but don’t worry about removing the spine yet.

To make the broth for poaching the fish, I used a spice and herb blend called Louisiana Crab Boil (because I just came back from New Orleans and I'm using it for everything!). Like mixed pickling spices, it contains mustard seed, coriander seed, cayenne, bay leaves, dill seed and allspice. After cooking the fish and flaking the flesh, the head and bones can be returned to the broth to make a flavorful stock, which can be frozen for a future use.

Flaked fish for the terrine.

The flesh of the scorpion fish is white. It is tomato sauce that gives the terrine its salmon color. Use homemade tomate frito (recipe is here) or canned tomato sauce.

I watched a TV chef make pastel de cabracho (check it out here.) He lined the mold with plastic wrap. The terrine bakes at a very low temperature, so the plastic film doesn’t degrade. It really seemed to help in unmolding the terrine. However, all I had was a really low-quality plastic wrap and I did not want to chance using it.

So, I did have trouble unmolding my terrine, which emerged in two pieces. However, the soft-set terrine can easily be smooshed together and smoothed with a palette knife. 

Serve the terrine with a sauce, if you like. I riffed on salsa rosa (pink mayo), by substituting fire-roasted red peppers for the ketchup.

Smooth over any breaks with a palette knife. Looks pretty good!

Serves 8-12.

1 whole scorpion fish, 2 – 2 ½ pounds, cleaned

Salt
6 cups water
1 teaspoon Crab Boil mixed spices
1 carrot, peeled
1 stalk celery
1 leek
1 teaspoon salt
Shrimp heads and shells (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped leek (white part only)
½ cup finely diced zucchini
¼ cup finely diced cooked carrot
2 tablespoons white wine
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup tomate frito (smooth tomato sauce)
6 large eggs, beaten
2 -2 ½ cups flaked fish
½ cup raw peeled shrimp, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon hot pimentón (paprika), not smoked
2 tablespoons fine fresh bread crumbs
Boiling water
Salad greens to garnish
Crisp toasts to serve

Sauce to serve (optional), recipe follows

Sprinkle the fish head and opened body section with salt and allow to set for 30 minutes.

Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil with the mixed spices, carrot, celery, leek and 1 teaspoon salt. Boil 10 minutes.

Lower the fish head and body into the fish broth. Cook 4 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to lift the fish head and flesh from the broth. Remove and reserve the carrot too. Let the fish cool. Set the pot of broth aside.

Once cooked, it's easy to remove bones.

When the fish is cool enough to handle, carefully separate the flesh from the head and body and reserve it. (If desired, return the boned-out head and other bones to the pot of broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock for another use. It keeps well in the freezer and can be used for fish soups)

Use your fingers to shred or flake the fish, removing any remaining bones. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil and sauté the chopped leek until softened, 3 minutes, without letting it brown. Add the diced zucchini and cook 3 minutes more. Stir in the wine and cook on high until liquid has evaporated. Dice the reserved cooked carrot and add it to the skillet.

Add the cream to the skillet with the vegetables.. Bring it to a boil and immediately remove from the heat. Pour the contents of the skillet into a mixing bowl.

Stir in the tomato sauce, then whisk in the beaten eggs. Season with salt, pepper and pimentón. Fold in the flaked fish and the shrimp.

Set terrine in pan of water.

Have ready a 2-quart terrine mold that has been lightly oiled and dusted with bread crumbs. Pour the fish mixture into the mold. Set it in a larger pan and place on oven rack. Add boiling water to the larger pan to half the depth of the terrine mold.

Bake the terrine 10 minutes. Lower heat to 250ºF. Bake until a skewer comes out clean, about 90 minutes.

Remove the terrine from the oven and from the pan of hot water. Allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 36 hours.

Run a knife around the edges or the terrine. Place a serving plate on top of the mold and carefully turn it over, allowing the terrine to unmold onto the plate. If not to be served immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (up to 2 hours).

To serve, slice the terrine and place on individual plates garnished with salad greens or serve it on a buffet table accompanied by crisp toasts. Serve with sauce, if desired.

Serve the terrine with sauce or without.

Salsa Rosa

Pink Cocktail Sauce

2 roasted red peppers

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 clove garlic (optional)

1 tablespoon brandy

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all of the ingredients. Serve cold.