Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times (11 page)

1.
Trim the ends from the lemongrass, then bruise one of the stalks all over with the back of a knife. Cut it in half and put the halves in the bottom of a saucepan with the nam pla. Squeeze the juice of one of the limes into the pot, then throw the lime halves in there. Top with the shrimp, cover tightly, and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and firm. Remove the shrimp and chill.

2.
Remove the hard outer layers from the remaining lemongrass stalk and mince the tender core; you won’t get much more than a teaspoon or two. Combine this with the chile, coconut milk, sugar, and saffron in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a uniform yellow. Remove the chile and chill. Cut the remaining lime into wedges.

3.
Taste the sauce and add a little salt if necessary. Serve the cold shrimp topped with the cold sauce and accompanied by lime wedges.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

IN SEVICHE,
the scallops are “cooked” by the acidity of the citrus.

1.
Toss together all the ingredients, except the cilantro, and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2.
Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve, garnished with the cilantro if you like.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 TO 30 MINUTES

THIS IS A
Southeast Asian-style preparation, mildly sweet and mouth-puckeringly sour. It’s also ridiculously fast; if you start some rice before tackling the shrimp, they will both be done at about the same time, twenty minutes later. (This assumes your shrimp are already peeled, a task that will take you about ten minutes and one that should be undertaken before cooking the rice.)

For best flavor, see if you can find head-on shrimp; they make for a more impressive presentation, and it’s fun to suck the juices out of the heads themselves (which, I realize, is not something that everyone enjoys). But none of these assets is worth making head-on shrimp a sticking point. Note that this technique will work with scallops or cut-up squid; each will take slightly less time to cook than the shrimp.

1.
Combine the lime juice, sugar, and nam pla. Put the oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over high heat. A minute later, add the garlic and hot pepper and cook just until the garlic begins to brown. Immediately add the lime juice mixture all at once and cook until it reduces by half, or even more, 3 to 5 minutes; there should be only about ¼ cup of liquid in the skillet, and it should be syrupy.

2.
Add the shrimp and cook, still over high heat. The shrimp will give off liquid of their own and begin to turn pink almost immediately. After about 2 minutes of cooking, stir. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until all the shrimp are pink, about 2 minutes later. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish with cilantro.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

LEEKS, ONE OF
the first legitimate spring vegetables, are the highlight here (in fact this recipe is great
without the shrimp
). In place of the shrimp, you could use scallops, tofu, chunks of chicken or pork, or slices of beef.

1.
Put half the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat. When a bit of smoke appears, add the leeks all at once. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then cook, stirring only occasionally, for about 10 minutes. When the leeks dry out and begin to brown, remove them from the pan and set aside.

2.
With the heat still on high, add the remaining oil to the pan, immediately followed by the shrimp; sprinkle with the ginger. Cook for about a minute and stir. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the shrimp are almost all pink. Add the leeks, along with some salt and pepper. When the shrimp are done (no traces of gray will remain), stir in the liquid if desired, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

MANY PEOPLE WILL
find this their idea of paradise: simply grilled shrimp in a strong-flavored soy dipping sauce.

1.
Preheat a grill to moderately hot. Mix the paprika, peanut oil, and salt and pepper to taste and rub all over the shrimp. Grill the shrimp, turning once, until done, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce with the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, and cayenne; taste and adjust the seasoning.

2.
Serve the shrimp hot, with the soy mixture as a dipping sauce.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

THE SEA SCALLOP
is one of the most perfect of nature’s convenience foods—almost nothing cooks faster. This is especially true if you opt to heat the mollusk until it remains rare in the center, as do most scallop admirers.

Sea scallops are also large enough to stuff, not with bread crumbs or other fish, as is common with clams or lobsters, but with herbs, garlic, and other flavorings. As long as a scallop is a good inch across and roughly three-quarters of an inch thick, you can make an equatorial slit in it and fill it with any number of stuffings.

1.
Mince the basil, garlic, salt, and pepper together until very fine, almost a puree (use a small food processor if you like). Mix in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to produce a thick paste.

2.
Cut most but not all of the way through the equator of each scallop, then smear a bit of the basil mixture on the exposed center; close the scallop.

3.
Put a large nonstick skillet over high heat for a minute; add the remaining oil, then the scallops, one at a time. As each scallop browns—it should take no longer than 1 or 2 minutes—turn it and brown the other side. Serve hot, drizzled with the pan juices.

VARIATIONS

Sautéed Scallops with Herb Paste

Substitute prepared pesto for the basil mixture. Alternatively, substitute fresh parsley, cilantro, or dill for the basil.

Stuffed Scallops with Greens

When the scallops are done, put them on a bed of greens (about 6 cups is right for this amount of scallops). Turn the heat under the skillet to low and add 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for about 10 seconds, then pour the pan juices over the scallops and greens and serve, drizzled with more olive oil if you like.

Sautéed Scallops Stuffed with Peanut Sauce

Cream 2 tablespoons chunky natural peanut butter with ¼ teaspoon minced garlic, minced fresh chiles or cayenne to taste, 1 teaspoon sugar, and sufficient soy sauce to make a thin paste. Use this paste as you would the basil paste and use peanut oil to sauté the scallops. When the scallops are done, put them on a bed of lightly steamed or sautéed bitter greens, such as dandelion or mustard. Turn the heat under the skillet to low and add 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Cook, stirring, for about 10 seconds, then pour the pan juices over the scallops and greens and serve, drizzled with a little more peanut oil if you like.

MAKES 4 APPETIZER SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

A DISH THAT
harnesses the complexity of miso to make a simple, quick, and highly flavored appetizer.

1.
Preheat the broiler or start a grill, setting the rack as close as possible to the heat source. Put the miso in a bowl, add the mirin or wine, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the onion, a little bit of salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Add the scallops and marinate while the broiler or grill preheats; or refrigerate for up to a day.

2.
Broil until lightly browned, without turning, 2 to 3 minutes, or grill, turning once after a minute or two. Sprinkle with the lime juice and serve with toothpicks.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

THE SCALLOP IS
ideal for fast cooking, because even a large scallop needs only to be browned on both sides to complete its cooking. A good sear on the outside caramelizes the shellfish’s natural sugars and leaves the interior cool, creamy, and delicious.

1.
Toss the scallops and the garlic on a plate and drizzle with the oil and vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn over a couple of times. Go about your business for 5 minutes.

2.
Preheat a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat. When the skillet smokes—this will take a couple of minutes—add the scallops (leave the liquid behind), not all at once. By the time you’ve added the last scallop, the first one will probably be browned on one side, so begin turning them. Cook until brown on both sides but still rare in the center. (You must work more quickly with bay scallops—add them a few at a time and turn them quickly; you may even have to work in batches to keep them from overcooking.)