Recipe: Pickled Shrimp with Sweet Potato Pecan Quinoa and Aioli

Recipe by: Wild American Shrimp Chef Advocate Jim Smith

PICKLED SHRIMP

Ingredients:

1 Pound shrimp boiled	1 Sweet onion sliced
2 Lemons sliced	3 Cloves garlic sliced
8 Fresh bay leaves	10 Sprigs fresh thyme
1 t Celery seeds	1 t Fennel seeds
1 t Coriander seeds	2 Whole dried chili peppers
.25 Cup vegetable oil	.25 Cup white wine vinegar
.5 Cup lemon juice	Salt and white pepper to taste

Method:
In a large pot bring 2 gallons of salted water to a boil with one rough chopped onion, 2 chopped stalks of celery, one large peeled and chopped carrot and the juice of 2 lemons. Reduce and simmer for 20-30 minutes before adding raw shrimp. Add shrimp to the simmering liquid and poach for 3-5 minutes until shrimp are cooked. Do not bring to a hard boil; shrimp are very easy to overcook. Remove from water and let cool.
In a large bowl mix all ingredients and store in a non-reactive container several hours or overnight before serving.

AIOLI:

Ingredients

2 Raw egg yolks	1 Poached egg
1 T Dijon mustard	2 Cloves blanched and cleaned garlic
2 Cups vegetable oil	Salt and white pepper to taste
Tabasco to taste

Method:
In a blender, place the yolk, poached egg, mustard, and garlic and pulse until a smooth consistency is reached. Turn the blender to medium-low and in a steady stream slowly pour in the oil until emulsified. Be careful not to break the emulsion, add salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste.

SWEET POTATO:

Ingredients

2 Medium sweet potatoes

3 Cups room temperature water

1 T salt

Method:
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into .25 inch cubes. Place the diced potatoes into a medium saucepot with the room temperature water, add the salt and bring to a boil. Once the water boils the sweet potatoes will be almost done, 1 to 2 minutes at full boil should be enough time. It is best to taste a couple of the cubes to gauge the consistency. They should be firm but not crunchy. Remove from heat, strain and spread out onto a lined sheet pan. If the dice is larger than .25 inch it will take longer to reach the desired consistency.

QUINOA:

Ingredients

1 Cup quinoa	1.75 Cups vegetable stock
.25 Cup diced onion	1 Teaspoon butter
Blanched sweet potato	3 Tablespoons roughly chopped toasted pecan
1 T chopped parsley	Salt and white pepper to taste

Method:
Rinse quinoa using a fine strainer; they are coated in saponin which is a natural defense film to protect against insects. It has a bitter taste and should be rinsed off prior to cooking. In a small-medium saucepot use half the butter to sauté the onions in the onions until translucent. Add the quinoa and stir to evenly coat the quinoa in the butter onion mixture. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.

 

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