Gambas a la Zurrukatunia

Whether you know them by gambas, camerones, prawns or shrimp, no matter which way you make them, they are going to be good.  I think I could eat shrimp everyday.  They are definitely some of my favorite foods.  I knew shrimp was going to be on the menu, and I was craving something different.  I made the trek upstairs to my library and started perusing my books.  I am very glad I did too.  I came up with a perfect Spanish gambas or shrimp recipe.  The recipe I chose was to make called for scallops, but I had shrimp defrosted, so the scallops will just have to be another time.  I made Gambas a la Zurrukatania or shrimp with corn, tomatoes and a pepper sauce.

 

Shrimp with Tomato, Corn and Pepper Sauce (Gambas a la Zurrukatania)

The Sauce

1 green pepper, roasted and peeled

salt & pepper to taste

1 small bunch or Italian parsley

2 TBSP + 1/2 cup olive oil

1 shallot, peeled and sliced

1 TBSP garlic

1 cup dry white wine

 

Roast the green pepper until completely blackened, then place it a plastic bag to let it sweat for at least 30 minutes.  Peel the skin completely and rinse off all the black and charred bits.  Roasting Peppers

Remove the stems from the parsley and place it in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds.

After 30 seconds, remove the parsley and immediately place it in a cold ice bath, to stop the cooking process.

While the pepper is sweating and the parsley is chilling, saute the shallot and garlic in olive oil and the salt & pepper for about 5-7 minutes, or until the onion is cooked, but not caramelized.

When the onions and garlic are done, add the wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet to get all the extra bits on the bottom.

Be careful when you add the wine.  You could get an unexpected flambe.  Fortunately, I have been trained for these, and the flame died down almost as quickly as it started, but it was still a bit of a shock since I was not expecting that.

Once the flame died down, I added the roasted pepper, the parsley, and the shallot and garlic mixture, along with the rest of the olive oil to the food processor to blend it all together to make the sauce.

The Shrimp and Vegetables

1 1/2-2 lbs large prawns or shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup frozen corn

2-3 TBSP olive oil

12 cherry tomatoes, cut in 1/2

1/2 cup pitted olives cut in 1/2

1/3 cup Spanish sweet peppers

1-2 TBSP Peruvian peppers

salt & pepper to taste

2 TBSP fresh basil, chiffonade into thin strips

1 TBSP lemon juice

 

Saute the corn and shrimp in the olive oil, until the shrimp is completely cooked.

Once the shrimp is cooked, add the rest of the ingredients, except for the lemon juice, and combine together well.  Then add the lemon juice. This recipe is the same you would use if making it with scallops.

Mix the lemon juice in with the shrimp and vegetable mixture, and the dish is now ready to serve.  I served it over a combination of red lentils and rice, with warmed ciabiatta and the same dry white wine I used to make the sauce.  You can serve it over plain rice, pasta, or just as is too.

If serving it with rice or pasta, layer the plate with the starch, place the shrimp around, then add the vegetables on top. Spoon the sauce around the mixture.  You have a colorful and flavorful fiesta on your plate.  !Delicioso!