As Californians, we’re incredibly lucky to have access to fresh seafood and produce year-round. This recipe highlights a variety of fantastic seasonal products, and pairs beautifully with our newly released 2015 Rosato. Cheers and enjoy!
Lemongrass Pickled Rock Shrimp
By Chef Cristina Topham
Yield: 6-8 servings in a salad, or 30-40 hors d’eouvre-sized portions.
Ingredients:
3 cups unseasoned rice vinegar
1 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup paper-thin lime slices
1 cup paper-thin shallot slices
1 cup sliced peeled garlic cloves
2 Lemongrass stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces and smashed
8 fresh kaffir lime leaves, torn
10 coin-sized pieces of fresh ginger
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili flakes or 2 thai chili peppers, split in half
2 lbs. raw rock shrimp, peeled and deveined
Olive oil
Watermelon (optional)
Flaky salt, such as Maldon Sea Salt (optional)
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except shrimp, stir until salt is dissolved, set aside. When water is boiling, blanch shrimp quickly in water just until shrimp begins to turn pink. No more than 2 minutes. Remove shrimp from water, strain and immediately add shrimp to pickling mixture. Coat top of pickling liquid with a thin layer of olive oil. Refrigerate overnight, preferably 2-days. Shrimp will become more pickle-y over time and will last in the refrigerator for 1 week to 10 days. I like to cut the watermelon into small circles, salt it and then serve the shrimp on top of the watermelon in a Chinese spoon. This would also be great in a crisp, fresh salad with watermelon and spicy arugula!
Cristina Topham is the chef-owner of Spread Catering Company, based in Sonoma. Visit her website for more info: www.spreadcatering.com