Pickled Shrimp with Sweet Potato Pecan Quinoa and Aioli (Photo courtesy Chef Jim Smith)
Pickled Shrimp with Sweet Potato Pecan Quinoa and Aioli is a great menu addition for entertaining and football tailgates. Wild Florida shrimp is abundant in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.
Pickled Shrimp with Sweet Potato Pecan Quinoa and Aioli
Yield: 2-4 servings
Pickled shrimp:
1 pound wild-caught Florida shrimp, boiled (see note) and cooled
1 large sweet onion sliced
2 lemons, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
8 fresh bay leaves
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 whole dried chili peppers
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and white pepper to taste
Aioli:
2 egg yolks
1 poached egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves blanched and cleaned garlic
2 cups vegetable oil
Salt and white pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
Sweet potato:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/4-inch cubes
3 cups room temperature water
1 tablespoon salt
Quinoa:
1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup diced sweet onion
1 teaspoon butter
Blanched sweet potato (see Step 3)
3 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted pecans
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
Salt and white pepper to taste
1. For the shrimp, in a large glass or non-reactive bowl mix all ingredients. Cover and store in the refrigerator several hours or overnight.
2. For the aioli, in a blender combine 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.
3. For the sweet potatoes, place the diced potatoes into a medium sauce pot 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 1/4-inch it will take longer to reach to reach desired consistency. Set aside.
4. For the quinoa, rinse using a fine strainer. In a sauce pot use the half the butter to saute 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. Gently fold in the diced sweet potatoes, pecans and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve shrimp with aioli and quinoa.
How to boil the shrimp: 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.
SOURCE: Developed by Chef Jim Smith for the American Shrimp Processors Association.
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