Text 18062, 105 rader
Skriven 2007-07-20 10:05:09 av Ian Hoare (1:123/789.0)
  Kommentar till text 18054 av DAVE SACERDOTE (1:123/140)
Ärende: Shrimps
===============
Hi DAVE

 le/on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:31:14 -0400, tu disais/you said:-


 DS> I don't agree that the best shrimp come from the Gulf of Mexico,
 DS> though.  For me, the colder the water the better the shellfish.
 DS> The very best shrimp are the small pink-shelled coldwater shrimp
 DS> from the Gulf of Maine. IMHO, YMMV, IANAAH. [g]

Not sure if that last referred to me!! But I agree wholeheartedly that cold
water shrimp/prawns taste better than warm water ones. Forgive me for
referring to something you've never tasted, but I'd argue that the Morecambe
Bay brown shrimps from the irish sea right in the North of England are the
"very best shrimps". But I'd not want to go to war with you over it.

As for peeling, some are easier than others, I find. I tend to want to pull
off the heads and the shells more or less in the way you do, but then I
crush them in pestle and mortar and make a very simple stock from them,
which I freeze for when I want to make Laksa Lemak. I can't remember if
you've ever tried that, if not. I most strongly recommend it.

You should sub in local shrimp for "prawn" and shrimp stock for chicken
stock, IMO. Actually I make a much simplified one, with chicken,  shrimp,
and squid leaving out scallop and beancurd (which I find utterly boring).

I also pound up some soaked dried shrimps and fry them with the paste, and
add the soaking liquid to the stock.

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Laksa Lemak

malay, shell, singapore, soups, starters

3 tablespoon oil
2 cup coconut milk
2 cup chicken stock
100 gm prawns; shelled
100 gm squid; cleaned & sliced
6  fresh scallops; optional
6  cakes tau foo pok; **
1  salt and pepper to taste
200 gm noodles; *
1 cup beansprouts
6  quail's eggs; =-or=-
1 medium egg; hard-boiled, peeled
2  sprigs laksa leaf; opt
2 tablespoon fried shallots
      ----SPICE PASTE----
12  shallots
4  cloves garlic
6  candlenuts
5  cm (2 in) ginger
4  red chillies; up to double
2 tablespoon dried prawns; or more; soaked till soft
2 tablespoon fish curry powder
1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste (belacan)
2  lemon grass; bruised

NB * Laksa, fresh rice-flour - blanched in boiling water or dried rice
vermicelli (beehoon), soaked to soften

** dried deep-fried beancurd

Laksa is a meeting of Chinese and Malay styles of cooking, with a
remarkably happy result: fresh rice-flour noodles bathed in spicy coconut
milk, with chunks of seafood and deep-fried beancurd. A very satisfying
snack or luncheon dish.

Prepare the spice paste first. Chop the shallots, garlic, candlenuts,
ginger and chillies coarsely and blend or process with the dried prawns and
a little of the oil until fine. Mix in the curry powder and dried shrimp
paste, blend for a few seconds longer, then set aside with the lemon grass.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok or heavy pan. Add the spice paste and cook
over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes until the paste is
fragrant. Add coconut milk and chicken stock and bring to the boil,
stirring. Put in all the seafood and the beancurd and simmer until cooked.
Season to taste.

To serve, divide the noodles and beansprouts among 4-6 bowls. Top with the
coconut milk gravy, eggs and sprinkle with laksa leaf and fried shallots.

Helpful hints: The coconut-milk gravy can be prepared several hours in
advance and re-heated just before serving. Although laksa leaf adds a
distinctive touch, omit if not available as nothing else tastes remotely
like this pungent herb.

Recipe "The food of Singapore - Periplus edition Mmed IMH c/o Gohlam BBS
Fido 2:320/116.14

Contributor:  IMH

Yield: 6 servings


** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.77 **

Bon appetit
Ian
La Souvigne - France

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