Shrimp with Red Pepper Broth and Ratatouille
Shrimp with Red Pepper Broth and Ratatouille
Serves 2
5 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 large shallots, finely chopped
3 whole cloves, thinly sliced
Coarse salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 star anise
3 whole cloves
2 small dried bay leaves
5 fresh lemon thyme
2 (3 ounces each) plum tomatoes
2 large shallots, finely chopped
About 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic, finely chopped
2 ounces eggplant, cut into very small dice (1/3 Cup)
2 ounces yellow squash, cut into very small dice (1/3 Cup)
2 ounces zucchini, cut into very small dice (1/3 Cup)
2 ounces red bell pepper, cut into very small dice (1/3 Cup)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped fines herbs, (equal parts chive, chervil, tarragon, and flat-leaf parsley)
4 large shrimp, peeled with tails on, butterflied
Fresh lemon thyme sprigs, for garnish
To make the broth, place the peppers, shallots, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a medium stockpot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables shallots are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by two-thirds, about 4 minutes. Add enough water to come up to the level of the peppers. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the star anise, clove, and bay leaves; cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and add thyme. Let stand until room temperature; strain through a damp cheesecloth-lined sieve. You should have about 2 cups. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. When cold, season with salt.
For the ratatouille: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Cut an x in the bottom of each tomato, and cut out the cores with a paring knife. Drop tomatoes in boiling water, and cook until skins begin to loosen, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath until cool enough to handle. Peel off and discard skins. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise, and remove seeds. Cut tomatoes into a very small dice; set aside.
In a small skillet, heat about 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add one-fifth of the shallot and one-fifth of the garlic. Cook until translucent. Add the tomato; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 1 minute. Transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat with remaining shallots, garlic, and vegetables, cooking each vegetable separately.
Combine the cooked, drained, and cooled eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and bell pepper in a medium bowl. Add just enough of the tomato to bind the mixture together. Stir in the herbs. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of broth to a simmer. Add shrimp, and remove from heat. Let stand until room temperature. Transfer to refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel–lined plate.
Place a spoonful of ratatouille in the bottom of two soup bowls. Top each with 2 shrimp. Garnish each bowl with a sprig of thyme. Pour 1/2 cup remaining chilled broth into each bowl. Serve immediately.
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