Spicy Shrimp and Potatoes
Today I am compelled to cook something spicy and satisfying for no better reason than it’s a rainy spring day. It’s just a little too miserable to BBQ but not cold enough for a full on baked cheese laden casserole. So this dish is just perfect for such a day. Spicy and hearty without being too heavy.
The flavourful sauce gets its depth from a reduction of white wine, clam juice and juice from the canned tomatoes. Don’t be afraid to BAM it up a little more by adding more chill flakes. The 1/4 tsp in this recipe just adds a little bite so if you can handle the heat, go for it!
The extra time in this recipe is dedicated to the sauce which took longer than needed because I had to deal with the onions. My husband HATES onions and over the years I have done everything from chopping so small you can’t tell they are there, leaving them so large he can pick them out or not using them at all. Yes, it is very difficult for me to cook in this manner, but I guess that’s love.
For this recipe I added an extra step to puree part of the tomato mixture which included the onions. While my motivation for this step was my husbands dislike of the onion it did give the sauce extra body and in the end was a very good adaptation.
- 1 pound shrimp peeled & deveined
- 14.5 can diced tomatoes
- 12 ounces potatoes
- 8 ounces clam juice
- 1 cup white wine
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup shallots finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add paprika, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add half of the canned tomatoes and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Pour mixture into blender or food processor and blend until almost smooth.
- Pour blended mixture back into skillet and add remaining tomatoes, garlic and wine and cook uncovered until reduced, about 20 minutes.
- Add water, clam juice and potatoes and cook covered until potatoes are just tender, 10-15 minutes depending on size.
- Stir in salt, sugar, pepper and chili flakes, adjust seasoning and consistency by adding a little more water if necessary.
- Add shrimp and cook uncovered for about 3 minutes depending on size. Serve immediately with crusty bread. Enjoy!
For this recipe I used shrimp size 21-25 per pound. Â The acid in the tomato will help cook the shrimp so there's no need to cook longer than a few minutes.
Recipe Source: Adapted from Shrimp and Fingerlings in Tomato Broth, February 2009
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