The Kitchen Counter Cooking School (31 page)

“
Life
is boring without garlic,” replied another.

Afterward, as the “cooks” took off their aprons to take their seats at the tables with the other guests, a woman approached me. “I can't get over how the lemon and the garlic changed everything,” she said. “I can't tell you how often I make a recipe and it's kind of blah. It will need
something,
but I can't figure out what, and, well, I've always been kind of afraid to add anything because I'm afraid I'll screw it up.”

As a little girl, I used to play restaurant, and in some ways, this was simply the big-girl version. With each dinner, I gained more confidence in the kitchen. I managed a regular crew, and we bonded in our kitchen camaraderie, quietly plating entrées behind the curtains. The dinners required developing menus, managing food costs and budget, and the full responsibility of what went right or wrong. For the first time, I felt like I was starting to earn the title of chef, whatever that meant. The odd thing was that just as I thought that I might warrant it, I decided it wasn't all that important anymore.

 

 

 

 

1 pound uncooked large shrimp
cup chicken stock or water
2 teaspoons plus 1
tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
teaspoon red pepper flakes
Half a lemon
cup dry white wine or vermouth
Pinch of saffron threads
2 or 3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
One 14
-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes in juice
1
teaspoons dried oregano or mixed Italian herbs
Handful of minced basil or flat-leaf parsley

Peel the shrimp. Add the shrimp shells to the chicken stock or water and simmer until needed. Toss the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, a couple of pinches of coarse salt, a few grinds of black pepper, the red pepper flakes, and a squeeze of juice from the lemon half. Combine the wine and saffron.

Heat 1
tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp until they are opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a bowl with a slotted spoon or tongs. Add a bit more oil to the pan if necessary. Cook the garlic for about 1 minute, then add the tomato paste and the wine and saffron, and cook for about 3 minutes, until some of it evaporates.

Remove the shells from the stock with a slotted spoon and add the liquid to the sauce. Next add the tomatoes and dried herbs. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes, until it is reduced to a saucelike consistency. Taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper.