Kat's
Vanilla Shrimp
Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 medium white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 small stalk celery, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper
salt to taste
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Marinate the shrimp in a mixture of the onion, carrot, celery, garlic,
vanilla, salt and pepper in a non-reactive container for 1 1/2-2 hours,
refrigerated.
Melt the butter in a large skillet with the olive oil and saute the shrimp
mixture, turning frequently, until the shrimp are just pink.
At this point, more vanilla extract may be added to taste.
Transfer the shrimp to a dish and add the wine and chicken broth to the
skillet, cooking until the wine has reduced and the sauce thickened.
Place the shrimp in the skillet with the sauce and cook quickly until just
heated through.
Overcooking shrimp results in a significant loss of flavor
Shellfish such as river shrimp and crawfish are found in abundance in the
many rivers that run through the vanilla growing region of eastern Mexico.
Called xanath in the Totonac language, shrimp are particularly delicious when
combined with the flavor of vanilla. This recipe calls for vanilla extract, a
product prepared by forcing alcohol through liquified vanilla pods. Artificially
flavored vanilla extract is extremely inferior to the natural product, and would
be a poor substitute for the real thing in this recipe
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of immaturity, the dread of doing what has been done before.