Thursday, October 19, 2006

If I had more time, I'd cook like that every day

I didn't have to work late at all tonight, so I was off the train a few minutes after 6pm. That meant I could get to the fish store before it closed.

I bought a 2.5 pound box of Contessa shrimp. It's some of the best frozen shrimp you can find. We started looking for this brand after we found out that they're the suppliers of many seafood retailers. I bought the "colossal" size shrimp. They're huge, and they're delicious.

Having acquired the shrimp, I went home, thawed half of them and then cooked them as follows.

I put half a cup of Oliviers & Co. olive oil in a 12" pan. While the oil heated, I chopped up a large Vidalia onion and added it and six cloves of minced garlic to the oil. I cooked it until the onions began to turn clear. While I was doing this cooking, Marc had added some salt and pepper to the shrimp. Then I added the shrimp. When the shrimp were nearly done, I added six tablespoons of butter and stirred it in as it melted.

The total cooking time, once the shrimp went in, was about five minutes. Total preparation time was maybe 15-20 minutes (not counting the run to the seafood store).

The end result was fabulous, IMHO. Total cost was about $20 (the full box of shrimp costs $39.95). I've had restaurant meals cost several times this and not even be in the same league.

The other part of tonight's meal is going to be eaten separately. My handsome, talented Marc made cole slaw. This may seem like an odd choice to go with the shrimp, but it actually is a fine match. Besides, Marc's cole slaw recipe is so terrific it could go with almost anything!

So it's a good night tonight! I'm a happy boy! Now I just need to seduce him, and the night will be perfect! :)

6 comments:

Crash said...

Marc makes the best cole slaw.

Marc said...

Awww...thank you, sweetie, that was nice. The shrimp were fabulous. But lest we mislead your readers...not all Contessa shrimp products are as terrific as the shrimp we buy (we buy the uncooked ones, by the way, that have been cleaned).

Crash, thanks for the compliment on my slaw (I do love good cole slaw), but I assure you, it didn't hold a candle to the shrimp!

CoffeeDog said...

love me some scrimps! they are a complete meal by themselves

Crash said...

Jess makes the best shrimp.

Anonymous said...

I have taken over Cincy Diva's body to say 40 dollars for a two box of shrimp? Are you mad?! I always make her wait until the grocer is having a seafood sale to assuage her scrimp cravings!

Frugalla
The penny pinching bitch living inside cincy diva

P.P.S. Now you got her wanting about shrimp. Thanks!

P.S. The slaw sounds good. Cabage is cheap

Marc said...

Cincy Diva: two and a half pounds of shrimp! :) I agree that $16/lb is some expensive shrimp, even for cleaned shrimp. These are good shrimp, though, you can taste the difference.