Garlic Shrimp and White Beans

Welcome to the second installment of “That time I bought two pounds of frozen shrimp to only use eight of them with those chorizo burgers.”

Apparently I only like to eat shrimp with garlic since that seems to be the recurring theme. I found this recipe in the Bon Appétit [surprise, surprise] and knew it would be the perfect excuse to use some more of those shrimp. Right after I made them, I found this recipe of shrimp and grits and I wish I’d made it instead. I mean, c’mon, it has an egg! That would have been heavenly oozing all over those grits. Next time.

The beans were really good. Pretty sure they’re way healthier than a bunch of cream and corn anyway, so there’s that. I wanted the beans to be spicier, and I couldn’t find chiles de arbol to save my life. I went with something else entirely which escapes me at the moment. The smoked paprika really brings everything together into something that doesn’t taste inherently Italian, which tends to happen to me when I’m playing with a tomato based sauce like this. You can get a can of diced tomatoes to save yourself some time, but since it is tomato season after all, I went with some fresh ones. Slow cooking them until they breakdown is so, so heavenly.

Broiling does wonders at cooking the shrimp in a way that doesn’t turn them into rubber. That’s my absolute fear when cooking shrimp, so don’t get distracted. It only takes about 3-4 minutes to get them done. Grill some bread when you’re done since you already have the broiler on.

Inspiration: Bon Appétit

Ingredients

• 1lb shrimp, peeled and deveined [let them thaw if you use frozen]
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 pound tomatoes, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 chiles de arbol
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
• salt, pepper
• grilled bread for serving

Preparation

In a small bowl, add the shrimp, two tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cloves worth of minced garlic, and the paprika. Use your hands [or a spoon] to mix together, coating all of the shrimp. Let sit while you prepare the bean mixture.

Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil on medium heat in a skillet that’s safe to throw into the oven. Add the remaining garlic, chiles, and bay leaf. Stir often for about two minutes so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the chopped tomatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, smashing the tomatoes with the back of your spoon as they cook. Keep cooking until they breakdown. It should take about five minutes.

Add the tomato paste. Stir until incorporated. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes so it can darken in color. Add the beans and simmer until the mixture thickens. Turn the broiler on high. Spread the shrimp mixture on top of the beans in an even layer. Place in the oven for about three minutes until the shrimp are cooked through. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley before serving.