Shrimp "Satay" Pynchon (you'll spoiler your dinner!)

[deedle at loop.com]

Well, we have "Pynchon: The Movie" - why not "Pynchon: The Cookbook"?  Any
good banana recipes out there?

-- deedle

P.S. Kim - I'm on my way over, napkin tucked neatly beneath my chin.  More,
please?


"Kim L. Serkes" <kls at well.com> writes:
>Shrimp "Satay" Pynchon
>
>OK, foax, here's the concept. Mssrs. Mason and Dixon are in Capetown, residing
>with a Dutch colonist family. The food at the family table consists of sheep,
>day after day, artlessly prepared. M. & D. go out to the "native quarter" in
>search of culinary relief.
>
>What follows isn't particularly based on any one meal they have, but inspired
>by what they might have found.
>
>A few of the ingredients are probably not at the corner grocery; unless you
>live in a Latin or Indian neighborhood. Good fresh shrimp are expensive, and
>picking the shells is a lot of work. Hey, if that's going to be a problem for
>you, stop reading right here and go to the Hungry Hunter or the Red Lobster.
>You'll at least find *one* authentic M&D food item there: catsup.
>
>This will feed four. I'd plan on 8-12 ounces of shrimp per person. The sauce
>ingredients quantities are approximate; you'll need to get fresh spices (i.e.,
>don't use the cumin & tumeric that've been on your spice rack since 1973.)
>
>I recommend serving it with rice. I prepared a simple risotto, using the liquid
>I cooked the shrimp in as stock. You could make boiled rice, but do get some
>flavor into it with the shrimp liquid.
>
>2 lbs unpeeled shrimp (medium, tiger prawns are fine.)
>0.5 c. "virgin or extra virgin" olive oil
>1.5 c. chopped onion (yellow or white)
>4 T. minced fresh garlic (nope, not from a jar!)
>0.5 c. white wine
>2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped.
>3 T. red palm oil (aciete de dende)
>0.25 c. fresh lime juice
>1 medium mango, peeled and chopped
>1.5 t. minced fresh ginger
>4 T. chopped fresh coriander leaf
>4 T. chopped Italian parsley (really! not the curly kind)
>2 t. fresh-ground cumin
>2 t. tumeric
>2-3 dry whole red chilis, or 0.5 T. crushed
>3 T. tamarind paste
>3 T. peanut butter (chunky)
>1 T. orange zest
>1.5 t. gumbo file`
>
>Lightly cook shrimp in boiling water/clam juice mix, with piece of bay leaf,
>sprig of parsley, black peppercorns, garlic cloves. Reserve liquid for rice.
>You don't want to overcook the shrimp, just get the shells red and the flesh
>firm, to ease peeling. Peel the shrimp and set them aside.
>
>Have everything chopped and ground before you start making the sauce; it goes
>quickly.
>
>Heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions, stir until just
>translucent, add the garlic, cook until just softened. Add the wine, raise heat
>to high and cook until the wine is about half evaporated. Add the tomatoes and
>palm oil and lime juice, cook until tomatoes are softened but not mush. Reduce
>heat to a simmer. Add the mango and the spices, let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir
>in the tamarind paste and peanut butter, make sure they're well dissolved. Add
>the shrimp to the sauce, cook for 5 minutes more at a low simmer. Add the
>orange zest and gumbo file`, stirring thoroughly.