Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I love watching Tyler Florence’s ultimate recipes on The Food Network. Everything he makes looks like perfection. Last week he made this recipe using scallops and I was determined to try it. When I got to the supermarket shrimp were about half the price of scallops and since I have been cooking alot of scallops lately, I thought the shrimp would be a good alternative. The carrots he used in the recipe were fresh baby carrots and they looked like they had just been pulled from the earth and gently washed. All I could find were the bagged small carrots that I usually avoid. Tyler used wild chanterelle mushrooms but there was not a wild mushroom in sight at the market, so I used plain button mushrooms. The beurre blanc sauce that he used got several negative reviews and was heavy on the vinegar and butter so I looked for a buerre blanc sauce that was kinder to our weight loss program. (As an update I am 8 pounds lighter and am looking forward to walking the mountain roads in Lake Lure). He did suggest that frozen peas were a fine substitute for fresh baby peas so that was not a problem. I already had one sheet of puff pastry in the freezer that had been there for a time and when I cooked my pastry cups they did not get as tall as Tyler’s but I persevered with my prep work wondering how I could have gotten so off base with a recipe. By the time I plated the food, it looked very appetizing, and when we sat down to eat, it all tasted outstanding. Just imagine what it would be like if I had all of the right ingredients. This recipe is a keeper and when I get to the Farmer’s Market in Asheville I will be looking for fresh baby carrots, fresh peas in the pod and wild chanterelle mushrooms.

SAUTEED SHRIMP IN BEURRE BLANC WITH BABY SPRING VEGETABLES IN PUFF PASTRY

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed and cut into 4 1/2 inch diameter circles
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sea salt (I used Kosher salt)
1 cup sweet baby peas or frozen peas run under warm water to thaw
2 bunches baby carrots, trimmed and peeled with a little stem left on
1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp or 1 pound scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint chanterelles, halved (or similar wild mushrooms)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Beurre Blanc:
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter cut into small cubes and kept cold
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Begin by baking the puff pastry cups. Lay the thawed puff pastry sheet on a light floured surface. Using a 4 1/2 inch round cutter, cut out 4 circles. Set them on a parchement-lined sheet pan. Lightly score the tops of the puff pastry with a 4 inch round cutter. This will help remove the top of the puff pastry after it is cooked, to create a cup. Beat egg then use a a pastry brush to brush the tops. Season with sea salt and place into the preheated oven. Bake in oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden and crispy. Once cooled, cut the tops of the cups off and lay bases out on plates with the tops next to them.

For the carrots and peas. If using fresh baby carrots, add carrots to a pot of boiling water and blanch them until they are tender but firm, about 2 minutes. If using fresh peas add them about 1 minute after the carrots. Drain the vegetables and set aside. If using bagged small carrots, place on a sheet pan with a drizzle of olive oil and roast in the oven until slightly browned. If using frozen peas, run them under warm water to thaw.

Clean the shrimp or scallops and season with salt and pepper. Set a large saute pan over high heat and add olive oil. Once heated, add shrimp and cook until they just turn pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until done. Return the shrimp to the pan along with the carrots and peas. Keep warm.

Make the beurre blanc sauce. Add the minced shallot, vinegar and wine to a small saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add the cream and warm it in the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the cold butter cubes a few at a time whisking to incorporate them. Continue adding cubes and whisking until all of the butter is incorporated into the sauce. Keep the heat low so the butter does not separate. Remove from heat.

To serve, portion out the shrimp mixture in and around the pastry cups on the plates. Spoon sauce on shrimp mixture and put tops back on pastry cups. Serve immediately.

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