6.15.16: Spicy Shrimp With Creamy Cheese Polenta
This recipe is so easy and very loosely constructed but I want to thank Chef Lidia Bastianich for her polentera genius in telling me to add a fresh bay leaf to the pot! Start by slowly sifting cornmeal into a saucepan filled with slightly warm salted water and continue to whisk gently while doing so as to avoid the formation of lumps and as it begins to heat you will get a sense of how much more corn meal to add for the consistency you want. Once it has thickened you can cover it and let it bubble gently on simmer for about ten minutes stirring occasionally.
Fire up a nonstick skillet on medium high flame and dust your shrimp with paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, a dash of salt and some olive oil. Throw the shrimps in and let them brown 1-2 minutes or so each side over a medium flame - of course they will continue to cook off heat a bit so don’t need to be cooked very long or they will be tough with a chewy rubbery texture! I added a pinch of garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper, butter, some red chili flakes and Parmigiano Reggiano to the polenta. Just a few slivers of the green tops from scallions or fresh chives will garnish this nicely!