Shrimp Curry and Couscous

When we are having a work lunch on Capitol Hill or a beach BBQ down in South Carolina, we always try to weave shrimp into m any of the menus. I favor fresh shrimp which are plentiful in Charleston but in DC there are hard to find. It’s best to go to a seafood store and get their best quality shrimp that have already been thawed. Stay clear from frozen shrimp in a bag as they always either tasteless or freezer burned.

As we always say, ingredients matter so be sure to get your hands on the best shrimp you can find and that goes for the rest of the recipes.

Ingredients

• Shrimp Preparation
• 1 cup yellow onion, rough chopped
• 1 shallot, quartered
• 1 cup fennel bulb, rough chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and rough chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Madras curry powder
• 14 ounces of unsweetened coconut milk (avoid lowfat)
• 1 pound of local shrimp, peeled and deveined (you can leave the tails on)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• 1 cup cashews, roasted and chopped
• Couscous Preparation
• 1 jalapeño peppers, seeded finely chopped
• 1 red hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 cups of Rice Select, Tri-colored Pearl Couscous if you can find it, If not, regular pearl couscous will do
• 1 1/2 cup of chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• Teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

Making the Shrimp Curry

• Take the onion, shallot, fennel, and ginger and pulse in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until finely chopped, drizzle olive oil in a sauté pan that is over medium heat, add mix with sugar and curry powder, stir for about 6 minutes until just browning, add milk and jalapeños and cook for 8-10 minutes until thickened, add the shrimp and herbs and cook for 3-4 minutes, spoon over couscous, sprinkle chopped chives and cashews on top and serve

Making the Couscous

• In a small Dutch oven, drizzle with olive oil and sauté the peppers for 5 minutes, take the chicken stock, salt, pepper and butter and bring to a boil.  Add the pearl couscous and stir,  reduce heat to simmer for 8-10 minutes.
• Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and fluff with a fork
• Put in bowls when shrimp is ready and to be ladled over the couscous