SHRIMP WITH RED PEPPER BROTH AND RATATOUILLE

Shrimp with Red Pepper Broth and Ratatouille image

This is one of chef Troy Dupuy's signature dishes at La Caravelle restaurant in New York City.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Seafood Recipes Shrimp Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 22

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Ingredients

2 plum tomatoes (3 ounces each)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
3 whole cloves
4 cloves 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 fine herbs (equal parts chive, chervil, tarragon, and flat-leaf parsley)
4 large shrimp, peeled with tails on, butterflied
Fresh lemon thyme sprigs, for garnish
5 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Coarse salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 star anise
3 whole cloves
2 small dried bay leaves
5 sprigs fresh lemon thyme

Steps:

Make the broth: Place peppers, shallots, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a medium stockpot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high; add 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.
Make 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 lengthwise, 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 1/5 of the shallot, and 1/5 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 the 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.