LOUISIAN A BARBECUE D SHRIMP is that sort of magical dish that’s intensely flavorful, quick to cook, and perfect for sharing—all you need to do is spend a few minutes revving at the spice drawer first. Despite the name, the recipe isn’t cooked on a barbecue but simmered straight in a spicy-bright pan sauce. As Toni Tipton-Martin explains in her book Jubilee, drawn from her collection of nearly 400 African American cookbooks, “‘Barbecue shrimp’ is just the name Louisiana Creole cooks assigned to shrimp braised in wine, beer, or a garlic butter sauce.” This one is Toni’s favorite version, based on one from the late model/chef/restaurateur B. Smith.
Sometimes, Toni doesn’t even wait to get the shrimp out of the pan, serving it in the kitchen as an appetizer, right in the skillet it’s cooked in, with lots of hot crusty bread to get every bit of sauce. No more than 10 minutes have passed.
This year has been tough for everyone, but small, family-owned wineries the world over have been hit pretty hard by fires, lack of tourism, and in some cases, rough harvest conditions. Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday, so let’s support these great American, family-owned wineries and their wines that pair perfectly with this varied and tasty meal!
Rillettes, so very French, are usually made with pork cooked in its own fat until it’s as spreadable as jam. These are lighter, made with both fresh and smoked salmon and miso butter. The butter gives the rillettes their luxurious texture (it also holds everything together), and the miso is the flavor that few people can identify on first bite. Serve the rillettes on toast or crackers with white or sparkling wine. Cocktail hour perfection.
Once, while traveling along the north shore of Oahu, The Splendid Table team stopped for lunch at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck for an island favorite, shrimp scampi--the most garlicky, luscious scampi we’d eaten. This is our divination of the recipe.
Usually beans are eaten by themselves (often with rosemary and extra virgin olive oil), or with pork and vegetables. This is a rare combination with seafood, and it provides a particularly delicate taste. The recipe is cooked in two parts.
Fiskesuppe, as it’s called in Norwegian, can be found at nearly every restaurant on the Lofoten Islands of northern Norway.
Fondues are a bit like Bloody Marys in that everyone has their own way of making one.
A lush, yet light dessert that's much better if made a day ahead.
One great thing about having fish for dinner is that it doesn’t take long at all to cook.
If you think the artichokes might be a deal breaker with the kids -- make it anyway!