Chile-Spiked Shrimp and Beans with Basil and Pistachios
De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.
Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnish
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 dried chiles de arbol
1 bay leaf
8 ounces of diced tomato (I used San Marzano)
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
2 15-ounce cans of canellini beans rinsed and drained, or equivalent of cooked dried beans
1 cup of chicken broth (sub vegetable broth if serving pescatarians)
1 pound of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
3 tablespoons of chopped basil
1/4 cup of roughly chopped pistachios
baguette, to serve
Instructions:
Serves four.
Preheat your broiler. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large over-proof skillet over medium-high. Add half of the minced garlic, chiles and bay leaf. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until you can smell the garlic and chile (be careful not to burn the garlic).
Add diced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cooking for 3-4 minutes, or until the paste deepens in color. Next, stir in the beans and broth.
Lower the heat to achieve a brisk simmer and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until thickened. Season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. Place the shrimp, rest of the garlic, two tablespoons of oil, and paprika in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix to coat the shrimp.
Arrange the shrimp over the beans in one layer. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until the shrimp are completely cooked through (about 3 minutes). Serve in bowls with a side of baguette, to sop up the juices. Garnish with freshly-chopped basil and pistachios. Drizzle each bowl with additional oil, if desired.
From turntablekitchen.com