Awesome Shrimp in a Tomato Fumet

By Andy Anderson !
@ThePretentiousWichitaChef

I was really amazed at how tasty this dish turned out, and if you have already prepped your ingredients, you can have it on the table in 30 minutes, or less.

It's partially based on a traditional Italian dish. In the traditional dish the shrimp are cooked along with the sauce to infuse the shrimp flavor into the liquid. What you wind up with are rubbery shrimp because they are totally overcooked.

Instead, I’m going to add the shrimp at the end, and to get the shrimp flavor into the sauce I’ll make a simple fumet.

So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

Rating:

★★★★★ 1 vote

Comments:

23 Comments

Serves:

Prep:

20 Min

Cook:

25 Min

Method:

Stove Top

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb: jumbo shrimp (21/25 count), whole with tail and shell intact
1 tsp: salt, kosher variety
3 Tbsp: grapeseed oil, separated
28 oz: whole canned tomatoes, in sauce
1 c: dry white wine
4 clove: garlic, minced
1/2 tsp: crushed red-pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 tsp: dried oregano
2: anchovies
1/4 c: chopped basil
1/4 c: chopped parsley
2 tsp: pepperoncini, chopped
2 tsp: pepperoncini juice

How to Make Awesome Shrimp in a Tomato Fumet

Step-by-Step

1Gather your ingredients.
2Peel and devein the shrimp, and reserve the shells.
3Add the peeled shrimp to a bowl, and add the salt.
4Mix, cover, and reserve.
5Chef’s Note: Place the shrimp in the fridge until ready for use.
6Shrimp are sold by size and the standard quantitative unit in the United States is count per pound. For instance "16/20" denotes 16-20 shrimp per pound. This method is valid for fresh or frozen in the shell without the head on.
The "U" designation stands for "under", meaning less-than the count per pound. For instance, "U/10" means that the shrimp are large enough that less than 10 make up 1 pound. To help determine the size, a trade designation such as Jumbo or Medium, may accompany the count per pound on retail packaging.
7Use a strainer to separate the whole tomatoes from the juice.
8Chef’s Note: Puncture the tomatoes with a fork to extract as much juice as possible.
9Reserve the juice and the tomatoes in separate bowls.
10To make the tomato fumet, start by adding 1 Tablespoon of oil to a sauté pan over medium high heat.
11Add the shrimp shells to the pan.
12Cook the shells until they begin to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
13Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
14Allow the mixture to simmer over medium heat until the liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes.
15Add the reserved tomato liquid to the pan, and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
16Drain the liquid and discard the shells.
17Wipe out the skillet, place over medium heat, and add the remaining (2 tablespoons) of grapeseed oil.
18Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano to the pan, and allow the spice to bloom for 2 minutes.
19Add the anchovies, and mash into the mixture, and cook for about 30 seconds.
20Chef’s Note: The anchovies are there to compliment the shrimp… the dish WILL NOT taste like anchovies… Trust me.
21Reduce the heat to medium low, and add the reserved tomatoes.
22Mash the tomatoes into the skillet.
23Return the reserved tomato liquid to the pan, and combine with the remaining ingredients(basil, parsley, pepperoncini, and juice).
24Allow the ingredients to simmer for 5 minutes.
25Chef's Tip: The sauce is ready when you can drag a trail through the sauce with a wooden spoon.
26Add the shrimp, to the pan.
27Continue to simmer until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.
28Chef’s Tip: Shrimp are fully cooked when they are opaque and whitish in color.
29Chef's Note: If you want the sauce to have a slightly brighter taste. Then don't stir in the basil, or parsley (Step 23), until the very end.
30Serve while still nice and warm. Enjoy.
31Keep the faith, and keep cooking.