Fiery, Curried Shrimp
It's been a while since I've had a great story for ya'll. This one's a kicker!
I've got my new Hot Jamaican Curry Blend, and have tried to work it into a few new recipes. I decided to do this, and even named it before I put it all together. I made the decision, that I'm cooking for me, this time, and not my guests. You've got to understand that I'm a Chili Head at heart, who eats Habanero peppers with joy.
I started this yesterday, but couldn't find anyone available to eat it with. Then my buddy, Tim, said that he would be around today. So I stopped the process, and figured I'd continue it when I was ready to serve it.
You probably can look at the ingredients and figure out that it might be quite hot, and it was. Tim first tried the Citrus Black Rice, and loved it, but when he got into the Curried Shrimp, all I got was complaints about the heat. Beyond that he loved the flavors, and noted that the Shrimp were cooked perfectly. Personally, I loved it as it was, but you've got to remember that he's the one who named my Chili recipe, Butt Burnin' Chili. Now Tim's come a long way as far as heat is concerned in the last 6 years or so, but this one got him, good.
After hearing all the complaints, he finally asked for some more sour cream as a way to cool it down. He ended up adding 3/4's of a cup to about a 1 cup portion of the Shrimp Curry. All I could do was laugh, 'cause I loved it the way it was. He even asked if I'd "be offended if he didn't take any leftovers home" with him. Of course, I'm laughing the whole time.
The bottom line was, he loved it, albeit, after he cut the heat. The shrimp (shrimps, in the South) were cooked perfectly, and the flavors were terrific. On top of that the Citrus Black Rice was the perfect accompaniment. Both in taste, and presentation.
All in all, it had a great Curry flavor, with the Citrus taste, and the spice flavors of the Islands. We both were truly amazed at all of the great flavor that came with this meal. I also think that I've finally realized what I don't like about some of the curry spices I've bought, and the food I've eaten in Indian restaurants. The spice blends all taste "muddy" giving a "thick" mouth feel. I've realized that both of my Curry blends aren't as heavy, yet give the flavors that I've been looking for in Curry.
This recipe, with the addition of the citrus, had the Curry flavors that I've been longing for, and was crisp and bright from the addition of the citrus. And, as far as the heat goes, Heat is looked upon differently by different people. To me, it was about 1/2 as hot as the wings I had for lunch at my favorite watering hole.
I love it when a plan comes together!
- 1/2 Large Onion, sliced
- 1 Large Pablano Pepper, sliced
- 4 Large Fresno Peppers
- 4 Large Thai, Bird's Beak Peppers
- 3 Medium Habanero Chiles
- Vegetable Oil, for frying
- 1/4 Cup Butt Kickin' Jamaican Curry Blend
- 1 Large Lemon, juiced
- 1 Large Lime, juiced
- 1/4 Cup Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate
- 1 Cup Pinot Grigio
- 1 Small Can Waterchestnuts, 8 oz., sliced
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Pound Shrimp, Peeled and Cleaned, Raw
1. Slice all of the vegetables, being real careful with the hot peppers, into strips. Place these in a Teflon pan along with a little oil, and saute over a high heat, flipping often until they begin to get some color. All you're doing is getting some color, and softening the vegetables a little. You're not cooking them all the way.
2. Add the Jamaican Curry Blend, stir it in, then add the Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, Orange Juice Concentrate, the Wine, and finally the sliced waterchestnuts. Cook for another 5 minutes or so to let the flavors blend.
Ron's Note:
You can get this prepared, up to a day ahead, as I did. Just store it in a plastic container in the refrigerator.
3. Heat the sauce to almost boiling, and add the Sour Cream, use additional sour cream if you want to counteract the heat level. Bring it almost to a boil, and add the Shrimp. Cook about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink. I used high heat, and stirred it every minute, or so, to keep the mixture from coming to a boil. This part of the process will take about 10 minutes total, so plan cooking the rice with the timing in mind.
Ron's Note:
Don't let this mixture come to a full, rolling boil, or the Sour Cream will separate. Once this happens the sauce will be ruined, as there's no way to bring it back together.
4. To plate the rice, Place a large pile in the center of a plate, then push it out to the edges to make a dam for the Curried Shrimp. Then place the Curried Shrimp in the center, and garnish with Chives or Scallions.
Ron's Note:
This "Black Rice" took a whole hour to cook! I started it before I finished the sauce, and I'm glad I did. The Basmati Rice that I normally cook would have taken only 20 - 25 minutes.
5. My buddy, Tim, had a real problem with the heat in this dish. As you can see by the picture, as he was eating, he mixed it all together, trying to cool it. Then, when he was about 1/2 done, he added another 3/4 cup Sour Cream. This worked for him, and he stopped complaining. He just wouldn't take any leftovers home. For me, it had just a pleasant amount of heat, and I added nothing, nor, did I mix it all up, but kept the portions separate.
Feedback is GREAT!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this recipe, or any other of my recipes you've either looked at or tried.
- Whether or not you like this recipe and why.
- How you'd like to see it different.
- Suggestions for new recipes I could post.
- Recipes you've made using Butt Kickin' Blacken.
Just send me a note:
thecapn@capnrons.com