Garlicky Shrimp With Sun-Dried Tomatoes..

This is one of those recipes that looked so luscious in the photo that it just begged to be tried out!!It was published in the New York Times Dining Section a couple of months back by Mark Bittman. As I started cooking it,I was skeptical..how can the shrimps have any spice without some chili flakes...somehow shrimps have to be spiced up really well for me to enjoy it.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy sushi too but shrimps..any day I will opt for the tiny Malabar shrimps over the giant tiger prawns here!! So without remorse, I added some red pepper flakes, omitted the capers and doubled the quantity of garlic. Also I added a handful of shallots (not onions, definitely) chopped up finely. Here is the original recipe for those who want to try it as it is.

The recipe calls for sun dried tomatoes which add a smoky and extremely tart taste to it yet keeps the shrimps crunchy unlike real tomatoes which would make the recipe watery with all the pulp.I used plain dried sun dried tomaotes from the farmer's market. If you are using sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil you can use the oil from that and reduce plain olive oil. That would add a lot of flavor too. So now this is my version of this succulent recipe. My photo doesn't look as light as the original one as I let it broil for 2 more minutes to get the brown crust.

You will need:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6-7 shallots
2-3 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fish stock or dry white cooking wine
16 to 24 large shrimp, peeled (about 1 lb)
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoon Chopped fresh basil or parley or cilantro

1. Preheat broiler; rack should be 2 to 4 inches from heat source and the heat as high as possible.

2. Put oil in a large, ovenproof cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the red pepper flakes, garlic and tomatoes . Cook just until mixture sizzles, then add stock or wine (Substitute with 1/4 cup white vinegar) raise heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add shrimp, turning them in sauce. Add salt and stir well.

3. Put skillet under broiler and cook until shrimp are done, 5 to 7 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle with chopped parsley/cilantro and pepper, garnish with basil, and serve hot or warm. You could even add a dash of lemon juice if the tartness is not enough.

This goes really well with a bowl of pasta, spaghetti with sauce or fried rice!!