Best Shrimp And Pearls Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, feta, capers and black pepper.
• Sprinkle the salt over the shrimp. Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil, then the shrimp, and cook until opaque, 2 ½ minutes per side, stirring in the garlic for the last minute. Transfer to the bowl on top of the tomato mixture.
• Add the broth to the skillet, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, stir, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed, 10-12 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add to the bowl of the shrimp and tomato mixture.
• Add the lemon juice and toss well. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.
• Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.
• Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

GRILLED SHRIMP AND VEGETABLES WITH PEARL COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Whisk together vinegar, oregano, thyme, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl until salt is dissolved. Add 1/3 cup oil in a slow stream, whisking until vinaigrette is combined.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast couscous, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and pale golden, 3 to 5 minutes. While couscous toasts, stir together broth, water, and saffron in a large glass measure. Add to couscous with 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer, uncovered. Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir vinaigrette to combine, then stir 2 tablespoons into couscous and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature.
• Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).
• Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and thread 4 or 5 shrimp onto each skewer (don't crowd, or shrimp won't cook evenly).
• Peel onions and trim root ends slightly, leaving ends intact, then halve lengthwise and cut halves lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide wedges. Insert 1 wooden pick through each wedge to hold layers together while grilling, then put onions in a large bowl with zucchini. Toss vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Grill shrimp skewers on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once with tongs, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer shrimp, discarding skewers, to a clean bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette.
• Grill vegetables on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until just tender, about 5 minutes, transferring to bowl as grilled. Remove and discard picks from onions. Drizzle vegetables with remaining vinaigrette and toss to combine.
• Spoon couscous onto a large platter or shallow serving bowl. Arrange shrimp and vegetables on top of couscous and sprinkle with feta. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PEARL COUSCOUS WITH SHRIMP AND CLAMS

Steps:

• Twist the heads off the shrimp and place the heads in a medium bowl. Leaving the tails attached, peel off the shells, add them to the same bowl and set aside. Devein the shrimp, then add them to a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper. Mix together and set shrimp aside to marinate for 30 minutes or so.
• Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, the chopped fennel and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until browned. Transfer the fennel to a plate, wipe the pan clean and return to a high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, tossing the pan every now and then until charred in places. Set the tomatoes aside. Leave the pan to cool for a couple of minutes, then wipe it clean and return to a medium heat.
• Add 3 tablespoons/45 milliliters oil to the pan along with the lemon peel, tarragon and the 5 chopped garlic cloves. Slowly fry for 5 minutes until the garlic is golden and the tarragon becomes bright green and crisp. Remove half of the tarragon and set aside, to serve.
• Increase the heat to medium-high, add the shrimp shells and heads and fry for 7 minutes, stirring every so often until crisp and pink, adjusting the heat as necessary so the garlic doesn't begin to burn. Add the tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Carefully pour in the Pernod and let it bubble away for a minute (it may flame), then add the stock and 2 1/2 cups/600 milliliters of water and simmer gently for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a potato masher to crush the shrimp heads a few times as they cook to release as much flavor as possible.
• Meanwhile, in a separate small pan over medium heat, add the fennel seeds and 2 tablespoons oil and cook until the seeds begin to pop. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Strain the stock, discarding the shells, heads and aromatics, then return to the same pan. (You should have about 3 1/4 cup/775 milliliters stock.) Add the lemon juice, chile flakes, cooked fennel, 3/4 of the charred tomatoes and plenty of pepper and cook at a bare simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to split.
• Stir in the couscous, bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until the couscous is cooked through but still retains a bite.
• Add the clams, cover the pan and cook until they all open, 4 to 5 minutes. Top with the remaining charred tomatoes and set aside while you fry the shrimp.
• While the clams cook, place a large, nonstick frying pan over a high heat. Once it's very hot, add half the shrimp, so as not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden-brown on the outside and cooked inside, then repeat with the remaining shrimp.
• Arrange the shrimp, along with the garlic and any oil, over the couscous in the pan, then drizzle the fennel seed oil over everything. Top with the fried tarragon and serve with the lemon wedges alongside.

ONE-PAN SHRIMP AND PEARL COUSCOUS WITH HARISSA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of black pepper and 1 tablespoon harissa. Set aside.
• In a large, lidded skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add couscous, garlic, coriander and cumin. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until couscous is toasted.
• Add wine and cook until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of harissa and 2 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, until couscous is al dente. (There will still be plenty of liquid.)
• Nestle the shrimp into the couscous, pushing them under the surface a bit. Add the tomatoes and increase the heat until simmering again. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, rearranging shrimp using tongs once, until they are pink and cooked through. Adjust seasoning, if needed, adding more harissa, salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with parsley and serve in shallow bowls.

BARLEY RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP AND PEAS

Steps:

• Place barley in a bowl, and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Cover; let soak in the refrigerator overnight.
• Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, and cover. Drain barley. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 6 minutes. Stir in barley. Add wine, and cook, stirring, until liquid has evaporated.
• Add 1/2 cup stock, and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until liquid is absorbed before adding more, until barley is tender but still slightly firm, about 35 minutes total (reserve 1/4 cup stock to stir in at the end).
• About 1 minute before barley is done, stir in shrimp and peas, and cook until shrimp are opaque throughout. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 cup stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and salt. Season with pepper, and serve.