Friday, October 1, 2010

Memories of the Past...Shrimp Newburg

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A great recipe and a shame it has been forgotten for so long.  This is one of those quintessential dishes of the 50's and 60's that like the tomato aspic got overdone and forgotten forever.  It actually goes back much farther than that to the days of Delmonico's the famous restaurant of the turn of the century.

I don't know what got me thinking of it except that I wanted to do something different with the shrimp, something that was not garlicky or lemony or Chinese.  It was so easy to make that I made it at the same time that I was making an apple chutney for Saturday's dinner party and apple crumb with the leftover fruit for dessert.  Multitasking in the kitchen can sometimes lead you to big boo boos unless you finish something before you start the next and then sit back and watch everything cook at the same time.  This time it worked...but there have been others.

You can serve Shrimp Newburg in pastry shells or with biscuits but my favorite is white rice.  A nice green salad is all you need to accompany.  It is rich and filling but oh so good!

The Newburg Sauce can be used with shrimp or lobster or a mix of the two.

Printable Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients

3/4 to 1 lbs of shrimp

1 TB butter

Sauce Newburg

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and Pepper

1 egg yolk

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons dry sherry

Dash of cayenne

Preparation

1.Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the shallots and paprika. Cook, stirring, until shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the mixture with flour and stir with a wire whisk.

2.Add the milk, stirring vigorously with the whisk. Add the cream, salt and pepper to taste. Strain the sauce through a sieve, preferably of the sort known in French kitchens as a chinois. (I didn't but for a dinner party you should)) Press with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible from the shallots.  Reheat and add the egg yolk.   Remember to add some sauce to the yolk beforehand if it is still hot.  Mix well and add the sherry and a dash of cayenne.  Set aside.

In a separate skillet heat the 2TB of butter and lightly sautee the shrimp for a couple of minutes.  Don't let them brown. Add the sauce to the shrimp and simmer for a couple of minutes so the shrimp can finish cooking.  Taste for salt and pepper.  You can serve immediately or let cool and reheat later,very low, if you are having guests for dinner.

YIELD  About one and one-half cups .

Recipe adapted from Craig Claiborne & Pierre Franey NYT

5 comments:

  1. I use shrimp in my dinner meals at least once a week. This recipe sounds delicious. I'm going to try it! Thanks :)

    -Tanya

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  2. Oh, sounds so good. I'm alone all weekend; even best friends have left town. So..I have no one to cook for!Some fried tofu tonight will be it!
    Peter just said last night how he looks forward to your (and Lucy's!) visit!

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  3. Here I sit, at 10:40 in the morning on Sunday, my mouth coursing and my stomach gurgling, desperate to dive in to a plate (no, a BOWL) of shrimp or lobster Newburg. I loved it as a youth, and am mad to eat it once again. Thanks!

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  4. Hate to bring in a harsh dose of reality, but readers should be aware of the enormous social, environmental, and health costs of shrimp farming. Read this: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Environment/Appetite-Destruction.html..as with so much in the food world, the subject is complex but the bottom line is stated in the article: "I say to those who eat shrimp, and only the rich people from industrialised countries eat shrimp. I say they are eating the blood, sweat and livelihoods of the poor people of the Third World'.
    Think about this.

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  5. Peter
    I have read the enclosed article with interest and although this is simply a culinary blog have decided to post it as a matter of interest to my readers. Unfortunately I am very well aware how we are depleting our oceans and endangering the ecosystem and livelihood of many people around the world.

    ReplyDelete

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