Shrimp Poached in Olive Oil

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to the reader known only as "adpa" for sending this one:

One day a woman and her young daughter were listening to an old
tune by Simon and Garfunkel. When the song finished, the daughter
asked her mothers, "Well, did he?"

"Did he what?"

"Did Parsley save Rosemary in time?" she asked.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This week I want to share some recipes from a cookbook I stumbled
across recently. Actually, my mother stumbled across it during a
recent visit to our public library, and it is my good fortune that she
brought it home. "The Best American Recipes, 2005-2006" by Fran
McCullough and Molly Stevens is an eclectic assortment of recipes
gathered from cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and even the
internet. Many of the recipes are completely new creations (such
as pancetta crisps with goat cheese and pear, and eggs with foie
gras and cream) while others (overnight macaroni and cheese) are
fresh new approaches to age-old favorites. My only gripe with the
authors of this book is the use of the word "American" in the title,
which I assume to be a concession to copyright lawyers or some
such silliness. Many of the recipes are of decidedly non-American
origin, and many others are updated classic dishes from around the
world. I mention this because, sadly, many of my overseas readers
justifiably associate fast-food emporiums and towering golden
arches with American food, and this book is poorly served by that
unfortunate association. The recipes are fresh, original, and "American"
only in the sense that most of them originally appeared in American
publications.

Here is the lineup:

(Recipes in brackets are in the PLUS Edition only.)

Monday's Starter
Shrimp Poached in Olive Oil
[Roasted Red Pepper Dip]

Tuesday's Soup or Salad
Fig and Peanut Salad
[Wild Rice and Chickpea Salad]

Wednesday's Side Dish
Overnight Macaroni and Cheese
[Cornbread-Stuffed Tomatoes]

Thursday's Entree
Lamb Braised in Milk
[Coffee-Molasses Pork Ribs]

Friday's Dessert
Caramelized Peaches
[Banana Pudding]

All recipes this week are adapted from "The Best America Recipes,
2005-2006," available from Amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618574786/worldwiderecipes

Gently poaching shrimp in olive oil makes them extra tender and
flavorful, but maintaining the correct temperature on the stove top is
a challenge. This recipe sidesteps the technical difficulty by cooking
the shrimp in a slow oven, and the lemony mayonnaise sauce can
be whipped together while the shrimp cook.

Shrimp Poached in Olive Oil

For the shrimp:
1 lb (450 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

For the sauce:
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 egg yolk
The juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
2 Tbs (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Season the shrimp generously with salt and pepper and combine
with the olive oil. Place in a single layer in a baking dish just
large enough to hold them. Bake in a preheated 225F (105C)
oven, turning occasionally, until firm and opaque, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the garlic, anchovy fillets, egg yolk, lemon
juice, and lemon zest in an electric blender or food processor
and process until smooth. With the motor running add the vegetable
oil and olive oil in a thin stream to form a thick emulsion. To serve,
remove the shrimp from the oil and place on serving plates and
serve the sauce in small bowls for dipping. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Mon Mar 20 06:14:59 2006