Don’t be shellfish this summer. Sharing the bounty of the sea in the form of crab, lobster, mussels, oysters, clams and shrimp are the highlight of summer clambakes and cookouts. Your favorite chefs think so, too. Anne Burrell, Judy Joo and Freds at Barneys New York Downtown have rounded up their favorite shrimp dishes, perfect for the summer.
Poppable, portable and altogether delicious, these simple shrimp dishes will be a hit at any barbecue this season.
Fried Shrimp with Garlicky Hot Pepper Sauce
From Judy Joo’s book Korean Food Made Simple
Serves 4
“This classic Korean-Chinese dish is a more grown-up version of sweet-and-sour shrimp. The shrimp is battered and fried and then enrobed in a spicy, garlicky, pungent sauce, free of the distraction of vegetables. With its somewhat familiar tomato-accented sauce, it’s more similar to Chinese sweet-and-sour takeout than its cousin, sweet-and-sour beef.”
1 tsp plus 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for frying
½ cup plus 1 tsp cornstarch
½ cup potato starch
½ tsp baking soda
Kosher salt or sea salt
1 large egg white
1½ lbs large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry
3 Tbsp sugar
4½ tsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp gochujang (Korean chile paste), Sriracha, chile sauce, or chile-garlic sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp diced onion
6 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 fresh Korean red chile or Fresno chile, diced
1 fresh Korean green chile or jalapeno, diced
Handful of scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
Steamed white rice for serving
1. In a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pot at least 5 inches deep, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F. While the oil is heating, in a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the cornstarch, the potato starch, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Add the egg white, 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil, and ½ cup water and whisk until a thick batter forms.
2. Working in batches, coat the shrimp in the batter, letting any excess drip into the bowl. Slip the shrimp into the oil, one piece at a time, and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 1½ minutes. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining shrimp, letting the oil return to 375 degrees F between batches.
3. When all the shrimp have been fried, let the oil return to 375 degrees F, and then carefully return all the shrimp to the oil and fry a second time until very crisp, 1½ to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set the fried shrimp aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, chile paste, sesame oil, remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and ¼ cup water until the sugar has dissolved. Set the sauce mixture aside.
Egg Custards with Shrimp
From Judy Joo’s book Korean Food Made Simple
Serves 4
“These silky, light, and super-easy egg custards are good on their own and even better topped with sweet shrimp and sliced scallions. Take care not to overcook these, as the texture can become tough and dry.”
8 large eggs
2 cups chicken stock
2 tsp fish sauce
½ tsp kosher salt or sea salt
8 small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 scallion, thinly sliced on an angle
Toasted sesame oil, for serving
Roasted sesame seeds, for serving
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, stock, fish sauce, and salt. Pour the mixture into four 10-ounce heatproof bowls or ramekins. Arrange the bowls in a large wide pot with a lid. Add enough boiling water to the pot to reach two thirds of the way up the sides of the bowls. Bring the water to a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and steam until the custards are slightly wobbly in the center, 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Divide the shrimp and scallion among the bowls, cover, and steam until the shrimp are cooked through and the custards are set, about 3 minutes more.
3. Top the custards with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and serve warm
Tomato Salad with Shrimp and Black Volcanic Sea Salt
By Anne Burrell
Serves 4 to 6
“When I was in Hawaii I had this version of a tomato salad with shrimp and volcanic salt, and it was amazing. First of all, it looks beautiful-the red tomatoes, pink shrimp, and inky black crystals on top are a vision of delightfulness. Then you take that first bite and the little salt crystals give up their crunchy, oceanic, mineraly salinity.”
Extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Crushed red pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt
½ pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut in various shapes
½ white onion, thinly sliced
6 large fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Black volcanic sea salt
1. Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil. Add the garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper and bring the pan to high heat. When the garlic is golden and very aromatic, about 2 minutes, remove it and throw away. Toss in the shrimp, season with kosher salt, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink on the outside and are opaque all the way through. Remove from the heat and reserve.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the tomatoes, onion, basil, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Add the vinegar and the juices from the pan. Toss gently.
3. Arrange the salad on serving plates and top with the shrimp. Sprinkle with the sea salt and serve.
Spaghetti alla Pescatora
From Freds at Barneys New York Downtown
1 cup cooked octopus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup raw calamari, cut into
1/2-inch rings
6 medium-size raw shrimp, peeled and deveined cut into 1 inch pieces
6 sea scallops cut into 1 inch pieces
8 littleneck clams in the shell, rinsed
8 mussels in the shell, rinsed
1 lb. dried spaghetti
½ cup crushed canned Italian tomatoes
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup dry white wine
2 cloves of garlic sliced 1 inch thick
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch hot red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. In a large covered pot, heat a gallon of water with a tablespoon of kosher salt to a boil. In a skillet large enough to hold the pasta later on, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden. Add the calamari and octopus and cook, stirring, until the calamari starts to turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the clams and mussels and cook 1 minute.
2. Add the tomato, wine, oregano, hot red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, bring to a simmer, and simmer about 4 minutes, until the shellfish start to open and the sauce has thickened slightly.
3. Next, add the pasta to the boiling water, stir well, and cover until it returns to the boil. Uncover and boil until just tender to the bite all the way through.
4. Add the shrimp and scallops to the sauce, mix well, and simmer about 2 minutes, until the shrimp and scallops are just cooked through. If the sauce seems too thick, add a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water. When the pasta is cooked, drain it well and add it to the sauce. Toss well and serve immediately. If desired, arrange on a serving platter with the mussel and clam shells around the rim.
Shrimp in Garlic Olive Oil and Chilis
By Anne Burrell
Serves 4
“The point here is to cook the shrimp really quickly in super hot olive oil so it’s best to work in batches. Shrimp-alicious!”
Extra virgin olive oil
11 cloves garlic; 10 smashed plus 1 whole clove
4 dried chilis, broken into pieces
4 thick slices of rustic Italian bread
1 pound small shrimp (21-25), peeled and deveined
Kosher salt
Juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, picked and finely chopped
2 cups baby arugula
1. Generously coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and toss in 5 garlic cloves and two of the broken chilis. Bring the pan to high heat.
2. Toast or grill the bread, then rub each slice with the whole garlic clove, drizzle with olive oil, and keep in a warm spot.
3. As the garlic starts to just slightly turn brown, toss in half the shrimp and season with salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute or until the shrimp just turn pink. Remove from the heat, and immediately stir in half the lemon juice and half the parsley. Transfer the shrimp to a dish and keep warm. Repeat this entire process with the remaining ingredients.
4. Divide the arugula between four serving bowls, top with shrimp, and drizzle with the cooking juices. Cut each slice of toast in half on the bias and tuck the bread into the side of the bowl. Serve immediately.
