Shrimp Pané on Watercress

Jacques Pépin's recipe for Shrimp Pané (pané means "breaded") is elegant, light, and crunchy – what a great dish for a party or a small gathering of friends. Whole shrimp are coated with a shrimp puree, breaded with fresh bread crumbs, and fried in oil and butter. It's served on a bed of peppery watercress dressed lightly with walnut oil and sherry vinegar. Make the shrimp before your guests arrive and keep in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

This past weekend, I served this with a first course of cold black bean soup with banana and a cookie dough raspberry tart.

To watch Jacques Pépin's prepare this recipe click here (at about the 3:55 mark)

Recipe

20 extra large shrimp (16-20 per pound), shelled and deveined
1 large egg
1 small garlic clove
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. fresh parsley leaves
3 slices firm white bread (3 oz.), processed to fine crumbs in a food processor (1-1/2 c.)
2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. unsalted butter

Salad:
1 bunch watercress (8 oz.)
1 T. sherry vinegar
3 T. walnut oil
1/4 tsp. salt

Cut off about 1-inch from the lower tail segment of each shrimp and put these tail pieces, along with the 4 smallest shrimp (total weight about 6 oz.) in a food processor. Add the egg, garlic, salt and pepper and process for about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the parsley, and process for another 15-20 seconds until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bowl. You should have about 1 c.

Divide the remaining 16 shrimp into 4 potions. Arrange them on a tray so that each group of 4 shrimp is clustered together to form a flat patty. Coat the top surface of each patty with about 1-1/2 T. of the shrimp mousse. Sprinkle half the bread crumbs over the mousse on the patties and press the crumbs gently into the mousse. Using a spatula, gently turn the patties over. Spread the remaining mousse over the patties and coat as before with the remaining bread crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

At serving time, heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large skillet until hot. Carefully transfer the patties to the skillet and cook them gently for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn carefully (they are delicate) and cook for 3 minutes on the other side. Cover and set aside.

For the salad, cut off the bottom 2-1/2 inches from the watercress stems and discard or use in a soup. Wash the watercress well and dry in a salad spinner.

Combine the sherry vinegar, walnut oil, salt and pepper in a bowl in which you will toss the salad. Just before serving, add the watercress to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing.

Divide the salad among four plates, place a shrimp patty on top of each, and serve.

– Jacques Pépin, "Essential Pépin"

Cold Black Bean Soup with Banana

An easy, last minute, no cook black bean soup! Perfect for a 90-degree day when you just don't feel like lifting a finger.

In a food processor puree a can of black bean soup with a little olive oil, Tabasco, a few tablespoons of chopped onion, a crushed clove of garlic, and about 1/4 to 1/2 c. chicken stock to make the mixture creamy. Serve in small soup bowls, topped with a ribbon of sour cream diluted with a bit of water; garnish with a few slices of banana and a couple of cilantro leaves. Makes about three small first course servings.

From Jacques Pépin's "Fast Food My Way"

Orecchiette with Fennel and Tuna

I am constantly amazed at the ease of preparation for Jacques Pépin's recipes from his "Fast Food My Way" cookbooks. The marriage of pine nuts, garlic, raisins, tuna and fennel in this recipe is perfection, and the shape of the orecchiette pasta works well. For a quick meal, try this fabulous combination!

Recipe

1/3 c. olive oil
1-1/2 c. chopped onions
3 T. pine nuts
1-1/2 T. chopped garlic
2 T. golden raisins
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. finely ground black pepper
2 cans (6-oz. each) tuna
1 fennel bulb cut into very thin slices
3 T. water
1 lb. orecchiette pasta
grated parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and pine nuts and sauté for 1 minute. Add the garlic, raisins, parsley, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper. Crumble the tuna and add it with its juice to the pan and cook for 20 seconds. Add the fennel and water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until most of the water is gone and the fennel is tender. Transfer mixture to a bowl large enough to hold the cooked pasta.

Add the pasta to the boiling water, return to a boil and boil the pasta for about 8-10 minutes.

Add 1/2 c. pasta water to the tuna and fennel mixture in the bowl and drain the pasta. Add pasta to the bowl, toss well, and serve with grated parmesan and a sprinkling of the fennel fronds.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Little Shrimp Casseroles

A perfect do-ahead dish, great for parties – serve in four individual gratin dishes, or one large one. Shrimp, scallions, garlic, mushrooms, salt and pepper, and melted butter are tossed together, topped with bread crumbs mixed with a little olive oil, and a splash of wine, and baked for 10 minutes at 425-degrees. Succulent, buttery, garlicky shrimp with a crusty topping, served with a chilled Lachini Vineyards 2013 Pinot Gris, what could be better?!

As you can see, I was a bit heavy handed with the bread crumbs and you can barely see the shrimp underneath!

Recipe

4 T. butter, melted
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 c. minced scallions
1/2 c. coarsely chopped white button mushrooms
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled (about 24)
1 c. fresh bread crumbs (from 3/4 slice of bread processed in a food processor)
1/4 c. dry white wine

Pre-heat oven to 425-degrees.

Mix the melted butter in a glass bowl with the garlic, scallions, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and 1 T. of the oil. Add the shrimp and toss to mix well.

Divide the mixture among four individual gratin dishes with about 1 cup capacity (or into one large gratin dish or shallow baking dish). In another bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the remaining tablespoon of oil so they are lightly coated but still fluffy.

Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the shrimp mixture, and pour the wine on top. 

Put gratin dishes on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the top is browned and shrimp are just cooked through. Serve immediately.

– Jacques Pépin, "Fast Food My Way"

Kale, Carrot & Sunflower Seed Salad

Fresh and crunchy with a creamy, vibrant dressing, this salad from New Seasons Market in Portland is a perfect lunch on a hot summer day. Massage the dressing into the salad so every kale leaf gets wet.

Recipe

1 bunch kale
2 large carrots, grated
1/3 c. sunflower seeds

DRESSING
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 T. soy sauce or tamari
1-1/2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1 T. fresh ginger, minced finely
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt to taste

Wash kale, remove stems, and cut into bite-size pieces. Add grated carrots and sunflower seeds. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over kale. Massage well and season to taste with salt.

– New Seasons Market

Tall Greek Tomato Salad

A fun and elegant way to serve a traditional Greek salad, piled high in a sculptural form with tomatoes, cucumber, feta, red onion, fresh oregano, and assorted olives in a lemon olive-oil dressing. I served this with lamb burgers with feta (another fabulous recipe from Jacques Pépin!). To serve, I held on to the tower and using a serrated knife and cut down the middle, turned 90-degrees and cut again.

Recipe

LEMON OLIVE OIL DRESSING
5 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk.

TOMATO SALAD
4 tomatoes with stems attached
1 cucumber, unpeeled, cut into 1/4" thick rounds
8 slices red onion, 1/8" thick
Fleur de sel (I used regular salt)
4 oz. feta, cut into 1/4" slices, about same diameter as tomato (cut off square edges to try and make it roundish)
Mixture of about 24 olives (black oil-cured, kalamata, etc.)
2 T. fresh oregano (garnish)

Cut around the stem of the tomato so you can use it as a cap at the top; alternatively, you can cut out the stem and use a sprig of fresh oregano to stick out of the top. Cut a narrow slice from the base of the tomato so it will sit flat. Cut each tomato horizontally into 5 equal slices.

Place the bottom slice from each tomato in the center of four salad plates. Cover each slice with some of the cucumber slices and a slice of onion with a sprinkling of salt and a small spoonful of dressing. Put the second tomato slice on top and cover with feta slices and spoon a little of the dressing over the cheese. Add the third slice of tomato and top with cucumber slices, onion, and a little of the dressing. Add the fourth tomato slice and top with feta and a little dressing. Finally, add the last tomato slice.

Sprinkle the olives and some feta crumbles and any leftover cucumber on the bottom of the plate around the cucumber "tower" and a bit of salt and fresh oregano leaves. Drizzle dressing over the tomato tower, and around the plate and serve.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"