Day 32: Stir-fried Shrimp in Aromatic Cream Sauce with Jasmine Rice

This class was all about seafood, and really helped me realize that seafood can be easy!  You just need to start with a great sauce. Because seafood is so light, it cooks really quickly. You can’t build the sauce while the seafood cooks - it will cook way faster than your sauce can develop. Rather, you need to start with a sauce that is already really flavorful and aromatic, and then you just add the fish/ shrimp/ clams/ mussels toit. This is essentially the opposite of roasting chicken, or braising a piece of red meat - these sorts of things need to be brined or marinated for a long time, and then you really build the sauce around the meat as its cooking. If you didn't do this, the meat would be flavorless and boring. But because seafood is so much more delicate, it absorbs the flavors around it really quickly, so long as you have a punchy, flavorful sauce.In this class we made a number of shellfish dishes, but this one was my favorite! I love anything with coconut milk, but with shrimp it was particularly delicious. The flavors are unique and really pop in your mouth. Don’t skimp on the mustard seeds - they really add to the dish! You can find them in any major grocery store.

Stir-fried Shrimp in Aromatic Cream Sauce with Jasmine Rice

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp garam masala (if you don’t have this, sub ½ tsp cumin + 1 tsp allspice)
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno or serrano, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 10-15 curry leaves - if you don’t have them, use the zest of 1 big lime.
• 1 ½ lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 6 cups
• 4 ½ cups water

Method:

1. Make your rice: In a medium saucepan, melt your butter. Melt your butter and add rice, stirring to coat. When rice is coated, add water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Give the rice a quick stir, cut heat to a simmer, and cover for about 15 minutes. You can check that your rice is done when all the water has been absorbed. Let sit with lid on until ready to serve.
2. In a large bowl, add tomato paste, salt, sugar spice, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, half of the cilantro, jalapeno, lemon juice, and 1 tbsp of water. Mix well. Slowly add the coconut milk, mixing as you go. At this point, the sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for several hours.
3. In a saucepan, add sauce on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce until it has slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
4. Heat a skillet to medium high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as the begin to pop (likely after just a second or two) add the garlic. Stir until it begins to brown and then add the shrimp and saute for about a minute until the shrimp start to have a little sear. Flip the shrimp and once they are opaque most of the way through, add the sauce.
5. Serve immediately with the rice, and top with the remaining fresh cilantro!