Read Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times Online
Authors: Mark Bittman
2 lemongrass stalks
1 tablespoon nam pla (fish sauce)
2 limes
1 pound shrimp, peeled and, if you like, deveined
1 small dried chile
½ cup fresh or canned coconut milk
1½ teaspoons sugar
Pinch of saffron threads or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric or curry powder
Salt
1.
Trim the ends from the lemongrass, then bruise one of the stalks all over with the back of a knife. Cut it in half and put the halves in the bottom of a saucepan with the nam pla. Squeeze the juice of one of the limes into the pot, then throw the lime halves in there. Top with the shrimp, cover tightly, and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and firm. Remove the shrimp and chill.
2.
Remove the hard outer layers from the remaining lemongrass stalk and mince the tender core; you won’t get much more than a teaspoon or two. Combine this with the chile, coconut milk, sugar, and saffron in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a uniform yellow. Remove the chile and chill. Cut the remaining lime into wedges.
3.
Taste the sauce and add a little salt if necessary. Serve the cold shrimp topped with the cold sauce and accompanied by lime wedges.
COCONUT MILK
ALTHOUGH CANNED COCONUT
milk is perfectly convenient, making coconut milk at home is easy and will contain no preservatives: Combine 2 cups of water and 2 cups dried unsweetened shredded or grated coconut in a blender. Use a towel to hold the lid on tightly and turn the switch on and off a few times quickly to get the mixture going. Then blend for about 30 seconds. Let rest for 10 minutes. Pour the milk through a strainer. This will be fairly thick. If you need more milk, just pour additional water through the coconut, up to another cup or two. Press the coconut to extract as much liquid as possible. Use immediately or freeze indefinitely
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 30 MINUTES
IN SEVICHE,
the scallops are “cooked” by the acidity of the citrus.
½ pound perfectly fresh sea scallops, cut into ¼-inch dice
1½ tablespoons peeled and minced bell pepper, preferably a combination of red, yellow, and green
½ teaspoon minced lemon zest
1½ teaspoons fresh orange juice
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
Cayenne to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro (optional)
1.
Toss together all the ingredients, except the cilantro, and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2.
Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve, garnished with the cilantro if you like.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 20 TO 30 MINUTES
THIS IS A
Southeast Asian-style preparation, mildly sweet and mouth-puckeringly sour. It’s also ridiculously fast; if you start some rice before tackling the shrimp, they will both be done at about the same time, twenty minutes later. (This assumes your shrimp are already peeled, a task that will take you about ten minutes and one that should be undertaken before cooking the rice.)
For best flavor, see if you can find head-on shrimp; they make for a more impressive presentation, and it’s fun to suck the juices out of the heads themselves (which, I realize, is not something that everyone enjoys). But none of these assets is worth making head-on shrimp a sticking point. Note that this technique will work with scallops or cut-up squid; each will take slightly less time to cook than the shrimp.
About ½ cup lime juice (3 or 4 limes)
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon nam pla (fish sauce) or salt to taste
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1½ pounds shrimp, peeled and, if you like, deveined, or 3 pounds head-on shrimp, unpeeled
Minced fresh cilantro for garnish
1.
Combine the lime juice, sugar, and nam pla. Put the oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over high heat. A minute later, add the garlic and hot pepper and cook just until the garlic begins to brown. Immediately add the lime juice mixture all at once and cook until it reduces by half, or even more, 3 to 5 minutes; there should be only about ¼ cup of liquid in the skillet, and it should be syrupy.
2.
Add the shrimp and cook, still over high heat. The shrimp will give off liquid of their own and begin to turn pink almost immediately. After about 2 minutes of cooking, stir. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until all the shrimp are pink, about 2 minutes later. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish with cilantro.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 30 MINUTES
LEEKS, ONE OF
the first legitimate spring vegetables, are the highlight here (in fact this recipe is great
without the shrimp
). In place of the shrimp, you could use scallops, tofu, chunks of chicken or pork, or slices of beef.
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
2 large leeks, about 1½ pounds, washed and chopped
¾ to 1½ pounds shrimp, peeled and, if you like, deveined
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons good-quality stock, dry sherry, or soy sauce (optional)
1.
Put half the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat. When a bit of smoke appears, add the leeks all at once. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then cook, stirring only occasionally, for about 10 minutes. When the leeks dry out and begin to brown, remove them from the pan and set aside.
2.
With the heat still on high, add the remaining oil to the pan, immediately followed by the shrimp; sprinkle with the ginger. Cook for about a minute and stir. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the shrimp are almost all pink. Add the leeks, along with some salt and pepper. When the shrimp are done (no traces of gray will remain), stir in the liquid if desired, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 20 MINUTES
MANY PEOPLE WILL
find this their idea of paradise: simply grilled shrimp in a strong-flavored soy dipping sauce.
1 tablespoon medium-hot paprika
2 tablespoons peanut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ pounds shrimp, peeled and, if you like, deveined
½ cup good-quality soy sauce
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
1½ teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1.
Preheat a grill to moderately hot. Mix the paprika, peanut oil, and salt and pepper to taste and rub all over the shrimp. Grill the shrimp, turning once, until done, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce with the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, and cayenne; taste and adjust the seasoning.
2.
Serve the shrimp hot, with the soy mixture as a dipping sauce.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 30 MINUTES
THE SEA SCALLOP
is one of the most perfect of nature’s convenience foods—almost nothing cooks faster. This is especially true if you opt to heat the mollusk until it remains rare in the center, as do most scallop admirers.
Sea scallops are also large enough to stuff, not with bread crumbs or other fish, as is common with clams or lobsters, but with herbs, garlic, and other flavorings. As long as a scallop is a good inch across and roughly three-quarters of an inch thick, you can make an equatorial slit in it and fill it with any number of stuffings.
20 large fresh basil leaves
1 small garlic clove, peeled
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1¼ to 1½ pounds large sea scallops of fairly uniform size
1.
Mince the basil, garlic, salt, and pepper together until very fine, almost a puree (use a small food processor if you like). Mix in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to produce a thick paste.
2.
Cut most but not all of the way through the equator of each scallop, then smear a bit of the basil mixture on the exposed center; close the scallop.
3.
Put a large nonstick skillet over high heat for a minute; add the remaining oil, then the scallops, one at a time. As each scallop browns—it should take no longer than 1 or 2 minutes—turn it and brown the other side. Serve hot, drizzled with the pan juices.
VARIATIONS
Sautéed Scallops with Herb Paste
Substitute prepared pesto for the basil mixture. Alternatively, substitute fresh parsley, cilantro, or dill for the basil.
Stuffed Scallops with Greens
When the scallops are done, put them on a bed of greens (about 6 cups is right for this amount of scallops). Turn the heat under the skillet to low and add 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for about 10 seconds, then pour the pan juices over the scallops and greens and serve, drizzled with more olive oil if you like.
Sautéed Scallops Stuffed with Peanut Sauce
Cream 2 tablespoons chunky natural peanut butter with ¼ teaspoon minced garlic, minced fresh chiles or cayenne to taste, 1 teaspoon sugar, and sufficient soy sauce to make a thin paste. Use this paste as you would the basil paste and use peanut oil to sauté the scallops. When the scallops are done, put them on a bed of lightly steamed or sautéed bitter greens, such as dandelion or mustard. Turn the heat under the skillet to low and add 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Cook, stirring, for about 10 seconds, then pour the pan juices over the scallops and greens and serve, drizzled with a little more peanut oil if you like.
MAKES 4 APPETIZER SERVINGS
TIME: 20 MINUTES
A DISH THAT
harnesses the complexity of miso to make a simple, quick, and highly flavored appetizer.
⅓ cup miso
1½ tablespoons mirin, fruity white wine, or dry white wine
½ cup minced onion
Salt
Cayenne
1 pound sea scallops
Juice of 1 lime
1.
Preheat the broiler or start a grill, setting the rack as close as possible to the heat source. Put the miso in a bowl, add the mirin or wine, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the onion, a little bit of salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Add the scallops and marinate while the broiler or grill preheats; or refrigerate for up to a day.
2.
Broil until lightly browned, without turning, 2 to 3 minutes, or grill, turning once after a minute or two. Sprinkle with the lime juice and serve with toothpicks.
SCALLOPS
A WORD ABOUT
buying scallops: Many are dipped in a chemical solution to prolong their shelf life. Not coincidentally, this soaking causes them to absorb water, which increases their weight and—water being cheaper than scallops—decreases their value. Furthermore, the added water makes browning more difficult. You can recognize processed scallops by their stark white color; in addition, they are usually sitting in liquid at the store. Buy dry, beige (or slightly pink or orange) scallops from a reliable fishmonger and you won’t have a problem.
Many cooks remove the tough little hinge present on one side of most scallops before cooking. But when you’re stuffing scallops, leave it on and cut from the side directly opposite. The hinge will then serve the purpose of holding the scallop together and can be removed at the table or eaten; it’s slightly tough, but not unpleasant.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 20 MINUTES
THE SCALLOP IS
ideal for fast cooking, because even a large scallop needs only to be browned on both sides to complete its cooking. A good sear on the outside caramelizes the shellfish’s natural sugars and leaves the interior cool, creamy, and delicious.
1½ pounds sea or bay scallops
1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Minced fresh parsley for garnish
1.
Toss the scallops and the garlic on a plate and drizzle with the oil and vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn over a couple of times. Go about your business for 5 minutes.
2.
Preheat a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat. When the skillet smokes—this will take a couple of minutes—add the scallops (leave the liquid behind), not all at once. By the time you’ve added the last scallop, the first one will probably be browned on one side, so begin turning them. Cook until brown on both sides but still rare in the center. (You must work more quickly with bay scallops—add them a few at a time and turn them quickly; you may even have to work in batches to keep them from overcooking.)