My inspiration in the kitchen comes from many sources: what’s fresh in the market, cooking shows I’ve watched, food magazines I’ve read, my fellow food bloggers, or even just what my kids feel like eating that day. And then there’s that special spark I get when I dine out. Oh yes, I do enjoy eating out. I love the whole experience, the theatre, of being seated, served, and especially cooked for. Of course, my favorite part is tasting what each chef has created, as I try to decipher technique and ingredients. The dishes that stay with me are the ones I can’t wait to try out at home. When re-creating them, I often put in my own twist, unless that dish happens to be a classic which needs no spinning. Here are two cases in point.
Grilled Shrimp with Roasted White Beans, Cherry Tomatoes & Cippolini Onions
This first recipe was inspired by an appetizer I recently enjoyed while out for dinner with my gal pal at a local cafe: a couple of perfectly grilled shrimp were served atop a baked cocotte of cannellini and tomatoes. I loved the saltiness of the shrimp against the dense richness of the tomatoey broth, plump with beans. I’ve reinterpreted this dish as a main course, making a casserole of white beans, cherry tomatoes and a new component, cippolini onions. Served with magnificent shrimp, this dinner delivers a lot of flavor without a lot of effort.
Begin by preheating the oven to 425 degrees. Now let’s talk beans. I know there’s a school of thought that to properly prepare them, you ought to start with the dried variety, soak overnight, cook, drain, etc. But I really believe that canned beans work just as well here, and they’re so much easier to use! Just drain a can of cannellini or great northern beans in a colander and give them a very light rinse.
Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the cippolini onions for 1 minute. Drain them and, when cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to peel their skins.
In a casserole dish, toss the beans with cherry tomatoes, the onions, a few crushed cloves of garlic, and a few sprigs of thyme. Sprinkle everything with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sugar (to help start the caramelization), and kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Put the casserole in the upper third of the oven and roast for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tomatoes are starting to brown and fall apart.
I went for luxury and sprang for these gorgeous colossal shrimp–they have such wonderful meaty flavor and three per person are all you need. You could certainly serve jumbo or extra large shrimp instead. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail joint intact, and remove the vein down the back using a paring knife.
Coat the shrimp with olive oil and an ample pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Prepare your grill (I always prefer charcoal because of the wonderful flavor it lends) and, when the coals are nice and hot, grill the shrimp for just a few minutes on each side. Of course, the larger the shrimp, the longer they cook: 3 to 4 minutes per side for colossal, 2 to 3 minutes per side for smaller. Most importantly, do not overcook them! They should be just opaque all the way through.
Garnish the white beans, tomatoes, and onions with freshly torn leaves of basil. Serve alongside the grilled shrimp, a nice crusty loaf of bread, and a glass of white wine…oh, and this wonderful salad…
Tre Colore Salad
Back in the day, we used to frequent a wonderful Italian restaurant on the upper east side of New York City. I remember my favorite dish to order there was the veal piccata–wonderfully light and lemony with lovely capers–and I would always have the fresh strawberries with zabaglione for dessert, especially because they whipped it in a copper bowl table side and served it warm and foamy–yum! Very often I would begin the meal with this classic salad. I love the crunch and the distinct flavors of the three different leaves. Recently my daughter has discovered this salad too (she’ll even make it sometimes), and now it’s become a new staple on our dinner table.
The tre colore–three colors–in this salad are, fittingly, the colors of the Italian flag. Green arugula brings a peppery bite, red radicchio has a slightly bitter flavor, and snowy endive adds some crunch and juice to this delicious combination. The slightly sweet balsamic dressing balances the dish, while shards of creamy parmigiano reggiano cheese, added at the end, are the perfect contrast.
I like to use the triple washed packaged baby arugula for a lot of salads, but not this one–it doesn’t have the same peppery flavor as the fresh bunches. When you buy arugula by the bunch, it should still have its roots and be pretty sandy. Prepare a large bowl of cold water (I like to use the bottom of my salad spinner). Cut the arugula leaves from their stems and chop into bite size pieces. Place them in the bowl of water, and let them sit for a few minutes. Carefully lift the leaves from the top of the water and place in the drainer of your spinner. You should see that all the grit has settled to the bottom–toss out that water and rinse the bowl.
Chop a head of radicchio and 2 or 3 heads of endive to bite size pieces. Add to the arugula leaves, give them all a good rinse, and spin dry very well.
Make a Balsamic Vinaigrette: in a small bowl, whisk together good quality balsamic vinegar (I like to use my barrel aged one here), a crushed garlic clove or two, a teaspoon of dijon, a bit of honey (only if the vinegar needs some sweetness to balance it), and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Slowly mix in extra virgin olive oil until the dressing is emulsified and balanced in flavor. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you like. Toss the salad with the dressing, and serve topped with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano. Buonissimo!
Serves 4:
Tre Colore Salad:
Balsamic Vinaigrette: