Cooking 4 2: Shrimp "Fra Diavolo"

This is a fun and easy dish. The ingredients can be varied, but you really need tomato and some kind of hot pepper. I like to rough-chop the ingredients and after they cook down a bit, homogenize them in a blender. In place of cheese (which I don't think is needed with this spicy dish), I add a little cream or half-and-half.

Fra Diavolo means "Brother Devil" which to me requires some serious hots. I usually use a few Jalapeno or Serrano peppers. Today I have two Serrano Peppers. You want this hot, but you still want to taste the food. I think sweet peppers add a great deal of flavor so there's a little of that too. I blend all the ingredients to make a smooth sauce so that it sticks to everything better.

Your choice of wine can vary from whites to reds, but I would recommend a somewhat dry wine. You should probably avoid carbonation, as this does not work well with hot food. My choice is a wonderful 2010 red made in Languidoc Roussillon by the brothers Coston on a 100% Bio/organic property. The wine, dubbed Les Terrasses du Larzac is made from grenache, syrah, carignan and mouvèrdre with low yields. A super wine. See red dot near bottom of map.

In the method below, after you add the Brandy, you can either cook-off the alcohol for a few minutes or, if you're comfortable, flambé. My grandson insists on flambé, or the meal preparation isn't worth watching! There are many ways to cook Shrimp. With this small number however, it's easiest to toss them in the cooking Pasta and pluck them out with tongs when they are done. They're done within a few seconds.

You'll want little else with this dish. I made just the simplest Salad, drizzled with a small amount of the very finest Olive Oil.

Ingredients:

(for one: you wouldn't have to increase these by much for two)

5 oz Shrimp (I used 8 of the 21 per lb. size)

4 oz Penne

¼ cup chopped Onion

¼ cup chopped Sweet Red Pepper

Most of the Ingredients

½ stalk Celery, diced

2 Anchovies

2 Serrano Peppers, chopped

4 Capers

14 oz can diced Tomatoes

(or fresh, if in season)

¼ cup cream or ½ & ½

fresh Parsley minced: (about 2 Tbs. minced)

sprig of fresh Basil

1 Tbs. Salt

1 Tbs. Butter

pinch of Sugar

¼ cup Brandy

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

Equipment:

Large fry pan, Pasta pan, Electric Blender, Tongs

Method:

1. Sauté onions, celery and sweet peppers for about 5 minutes until they have softened.

Ingredients Prepped

After first 5 minutes

2. Add Anchovies, Capers and Hot Peppers. Anchovies will completely dissolve. Lower heat and cook for about ten minutes.

3. Turn up heat until everything sizzles. Add Brandy and either cook off alcohol or flambé.

flambe

4. Add Tomatoes, about half the Parsley, Salt and a pinch of Sugar. Stir everything together.

Add Tomatoes, etc.

When the ingredients come back up to a boil, lower the heat, partially cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ready to Simmer

5. While sauce simmers, clean and shuck Shrimp.

6. Just before sauce is finished bring Pasta water to a boil.

7. Add Pasta to water and set timer for about 1 minute less than box instructions.

8. While Pasta is cooking, remove Basil from sauce and then run it through the Blender until sauce is smooth and pinkish. Return sauce to pan and keep it on low. Taste and correct seasoning.

9. When timer shows about 4 minutes left, add Shrimp to Pasta water. When they are done (less than a minute) remove them with tongs and place them in sauce.