This recipe is a twist on a soup recipe, only the soup is a little thicker here and becomes the sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium to smallish Carnival, or other winter squash, enough to equal 4 cups of flesh, halved and roasted until tender (See recipe for Basic Roasted Winter Squash), dusted with a pinch of powdered garlic, cumin, and coriander seed before roasting 1½ medium white onions, 1 minced, ½ cut into ¼-inch dice 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can coconut milk 1-2 cups vegetable stock, or as needed ½+½ tablespoon each cumin and coriander seed, ground to a powder 1/8th teaspoon ginger powder* ¼+¼ teaspoon cinnamon Salt and pepper to taste ¼-½ cayenne pepper (How hot do you like it?) 1½ pounds shrimp 16-20 count shrimp, peeled and cleaned 2 Corno di Toro peppers, cut into ½-inch dice 2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice and drained 1 lime, halved for squeezing for juice Rice or white balsamic vinegar if needed Butter or neutral flavored oil as needed Optional-Cilantro OilMETHOD:
While the squash cools enough to handle it without burning yourself, heat a soup pot over medium heat. When hot, film with oil and heat. Cook the 1 onion gently until they are tender, but do not allow them to color. Add the garlic and gently cook just to soften, but do not color.
As soon as the squash may be handled, scoop the flesh into a bowl.
Add half the spices (not the cayenne) to the alliums and stir until fragrant. Add the squash and stir together. Season with salt and pepper, then add the coconut milk and 1 cup of stock.
Bring to a simmer and stir. When heated, transfer the soup to a blender and carefully pureé. You can use a wand mixer to puree the soup, or very carefully puree in a blender (Fill the blender only 2/3rds full and cover the top with a towel and start on low speed. BE CAREFUL! The soup expands and can blow out under the lid spraying hot soup on you.)
Taste the soup. If it is too thick, thin it out with more stock. If it tastes “flat”, add a few drops of vinegar to wake the soup up. Only add a few drops at a time to avoid over-doing it. When balanced, keep the sauce warm while you cook the shrimp.
While the sauce was being made, pureed, a large sauté pan should have been heating over medium-high heat. When hot, generously film the pan with oil. When the oil is almost smoking, add the peppers to the pan and toss to coat with oil. Sauté so they pick up some color and smell good. Add the onions after a couple minutes and sauté to soften. Push the vegetables to the side, add a little oil and when hot, add the cayenne powder. Allow to bloom, then add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are almost done (If you cut one open near the head-end, it is still a little transparent inside). Add the tomatoes, toss, and add in the warm squash sauce. Stir to mix, and serve over rice or noodles when hot. If using, drizzle with cilantro oil.
Chef’s Notes: *Although I usually prefer fresh ginger, dried ginger powder has a different flavor that is appropriate here in combination with the other spices. You could add threads of fresh ginger to the shrimp for a compounding of flavors that would be nice and bright, and add some heat.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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