Shrimp Fra Diavolo for Two
By Andrea GearyPublished on November 24, 2013
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If the shrimp you are using have been treated with salt (check the bag’s ingredient list), skip the salting in step 1 and add 1/8 teaspoon of salt to the sauce in step 3. Adjust the amount of pepper flakes depending on how spicy you want the dish. Serve the shrimp with a salad and crusty bread or over spaghetti. If serving with spaghetti, adjust the consistency of the sauce with some reserved pasta cooking water.
Instructions
- Toss shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and set aside. Pour tomatoes in colander set over large bowl. Pierce tomatoes with edge of rubber spatula and stir briefly to release juice. Transfer drained tomatoes to small bowl and reserve juice. Do not wash out colander.
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 10-inch skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to turn spotty brown and skillet starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and carefully add wine. When bubbling subsides, return pan to heat and simmer until wine is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes. Add reserved tomato juice and simmer to meld flavors, 2 1/2 minutes. Pour contents of skillet into colander set over bowl. Discard shells and reserve liquid. Wipe out skillet with paper towels.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and oregano in now-empty skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is straw-colored and fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add anchovy and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from heat. Add drained tomatoes and mash with potato masher until coarsely pureed. Return to heat and stir in reserved tomato juice mixture. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until mixture has thickened, about 2 1/2 minutes.
- Add shrimp to skillet and simmer gently, stirring and turning shrimp frequently until they are just cooked through, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in basil, parsley, and pepperoncini and brine and season with salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 2Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Ideally shrimp fra diavolo is a lively and piquant dish, with tangy tomatoes countering briny, plump shrimp, and pepper flakes and garlic providing a spirited kick. But too often the seared shrimp are overcooked and chewy, and the spice obliterates all the other flavors, leaving the dish hot but disappointingly one-dimensional.
In this version, we boost the flavor of the sauce by first browning the shrimp shells and using them to make stock. This stock forms the basis of our sauce, in which we poach our shrimp, leaving them plump and succulent. In honor of the dish’s “devilish” reputation, we add a bit more heat in the form of minced pepperoncini peppers. Generous amounts of chopped parsley and basil contribute freshness, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil provides a fruity, peppery finish.
Before You Begin
If the shrimp you are using have been treated with salt (check the bag’s ingredient list), skip the salting in step 1 and add 1/8 teaspoon of salt to the sauce in step 3. Adjust the amount of pepper flakes depending on how spicy you want the dish. Serve the shrimp with a salad and crusty bread or over spaghetti. If serving with spaghetti, adjust the consistency of the sauce with some reserved pasta cooking water.
Instructions
- Toss shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and set aside. Pour tomatoes in colander set over large bowl. Pierce tomatoes with edge of rubber spatula and stir briefly to release juice. Transfer drained tomatoes to small bowl and reserve juice. Do not wash out colander.
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 10-inch skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to turn spotty brown and skillet starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and carefully add wine. When bubbling subsides, return pan to heat and simmer until wine is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes. Add reserved tomato juice and simmer to meld flavors, 2 1/2 minutes. Pour contents of skillet into colander set over bowl. Discard shells and reserve liquid. Wipe out skillet with paper towels.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and oregano in now-empty skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is straw-colored and fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add anchovy and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from heat. Add drained tomatoes and mash with potato masher until coarsely pureed. Return to heat and stir in reserved tomato juice mixture. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until mixture has thickened, about 2 1/2 minutes.
- Add shrimp to skillet and simmer gently, stirring and turning shrimp frequently until they are just cooked through, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in basil, parsley, and pepperoncini and brine and season with salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
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