Poached Shrimp with Sour Cream Horseradish Dipping Sauce

Okay, so here's the latest in the Friday Night Lights series, and let me just say that anything that involves shrimp and horseradish has me at hello.  This is basically a spin on that shrimp cocktail that you secretly yearn to order at every restaurant you go do but don't because it costs as much as your mortgage payment.

But this one is so, so much more than a shrimp cocktail, and it is all due to the sauce, which is not the typical tomato/horseradish variety, but instead is a mixture of sour cream, horseradish, chopped chives, lemon peel and (get this) a reduction of the lemon white wine mixture that you have cooked the shrimp in.  Wildly luxurious-sounding, right?  It almost doesn't seem fair that it is so dang easy to make, but it is!  

You poach the shrimp for about four minutes in a mixture of water, white wine, half of a lemon and a few other things.  Scoop out the shrimp and put them in an ice water bath to chill down, and then boil the poaching liquid down for about 20 minutes.  In the meantime you can mix up the rest of the sauce, which is a sour cream/horseradish/lemon peel/chives mixture that gets thinned out with a tablespoon or two of the poaching liquid.  After that, the only thing left to do is find some pretty glasses, spoon some of the sauce in the middle, hang as many shrimp as you can fit around the edge, and try not to scarf them down TOO fast.

Yum, right?  And elegant too.  Even if you ARE eating them while lounging on your couch watching a taped version of House.  I mean Glee.  I mean Nurse Jackie.  You get the drift!

Poached Shrimp with Sour Cream Horseradish Dipping Sauce, adapted from Bon Appetit

1 cup dry white wine
6 whole black peppercorns
1/2 lemon
1 bay leaf
Pinch of coarse kosher salt
8 uncooked unpeeled large shrimp
dipping sauce

1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon prepared white horseradish
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
Coarse kosher salt
Whole fresh chives (for garnish)

1. Fill medium bowl with ice water; set aside. Combine 2 cups water, wine, and next 4 ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Add shrimp; reduce heat to low, cover, and poach just until shells are pink and shrimp are opaque in center, 3 to 4 minutes. 

2. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to bowl with ice water; reserve poaching liquid and lemon half. Drain and peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Devein shrimp.
3. Squeeze juice from reserved lemon half into poaching liquid in pan. Boil liquid until reduced to generous 2 tablespoons, about 20 minutes. Strain; cool.
4. Mix sour cream or crème fraîche, chopped chives, horseradish, lemon peel, and 1 tablespoon reduced poaching liquid in small bowl. Season sauce with coarse salt and black pepper.
4. Spoon dipping sauce into short glasses. Arrange shrimp on rims. Garnish with whole fresh chives and extra lemon peel if you have it.

Print this!

Roast Beef and Horseradish Coleslaw Sandwiches

Last week the Southern husband asked me if I realized we were having sandwiches for dinner at least once a week lately...and he asked in the hope that this was something that we would be continuing for a good long while.  I think probably because Sandwich Night (name that movie!) is a little more casual, a little lighter.  And nowhere near as many dishes to wash, and as the guy who does the dishes after dinner this is no small thing.

And so here is my latest entry in a long row of sandwiches that I have apparently been making a lot of.  The only "cooking" involved in this one is the assembly of the horseradish coleslaw, which is ridiculously easy to make, and by the way makes a pretty fabulous coleslaw for regular coleslaw use, not  just in great roast beef sandwiches.  A little mayo, a little horseradish and a little pepper mixed up with some chopped cabbage and carrots and you are in business.  I picked up some light rye bread and some nice thin-sliced roast beef at the deli counter, and then all that you have to do is layer on some of your scrumptious horseradish coleslaw.  Instant happy suppertime.

Let's hear it for Sandwich Night!

Roast Beef and Horseradish Coleslaw Sandwiches, adapted from Real Simple

• 2 slices rye bread
• 1/4 pound rare thin sliced roast beef
• 1/4 cup coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrot)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Mix coleslaw mix, mayo, pepper and horseradish until well combined.

2. Lay roast beef on rye bread, cover with horseradish coleslaw and top with second bread slice.  Cut in half and give three cheers for 5 minute dinners!

Click here for printable recipe

Shrimp Rolls

Okay, so if a shrimp cocktail and a lobster roll fell in love and got married and had a baby, it would look a little like this:

Wait, wrong adorable baby picture! Although he is pretty delicious-looking too...

Anyway, it would look like that first picture up at the top, which is basically the world's fastest and most satisfying supper on a warm Friday night. First of all, you need to get New England style hot dog rolls, which are those kind that are split down the top instead of split down the side. I have no idea why this makes them New England style -- somebody out there please tell me? - but they work the best for these shrimp rolls. If you can't find them, go ahead and use the side-split kind, they will still taste just as good.

Next you boil up some nice peeled shrimp. Here is my usual pitch for buying your shrimp in bulk at Costco -- they have the best shrimp anywhere, their prices are amazing, and once you have your Southern husband separate them into freezer bags full of normal-sized portions, you will have a freezer full of wonderful shrimp just ready for whatever shrimp recipe you want to make next, and you will sleep easier at night.

Anyway, boil the shrimp up until they are just cooked through -- I usually throw them into a pot with enough water to cover, toss in a couple of spoonfuls of Old Bay seasoning, bring the whole thing to a boil and then turn it off as soon as it boils and let the shrimp sit in the hot water for about 5 minutes. Drain them and put them in a bowl of ice water to cool down.

Then mix up a batch of cocktail sauce - ketchup plus horseradish plus chopped celery. At this point you can decide if you want your shrimp whole, or if you would like to cut them up -- either is fine. Now the assembly: open up your hot dog roll. Line with one leaf of Bibb lettuce. Fill with shrimp. Spoon cocktail sauce over. Serve with salt and pepper potato chips. Be this happy.

Here's the recipe.

Shrimp Rolls, adapted from Everyday Food

• 1/3 to 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled, cooked and chilled.
• Bibb lettuce leaves
• Hot dog rolls, lightly toasted and buttered
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup horseradish (or more to taste)
• 1 stalk chopped celery

1. Mix together ketchup, horseradish and celery
2. Line rolls with one lettuce leaf each
3. Place shrimp on lettuce
4. Spoon cocktail sauce over top.

Click here for printable recipe

Corned Beef Burgers

Now, if I was REALLY organized, I would have gotten this out to you last week when you still had all that leftover corned beef from Pt. Patrick's Day still in your fridge (maybe you still have some?). And while we just loved the little salty hit that the corned beef gave to this recipe, if you are fresh out of corned beef using all ground beef will still work just fine.

If you don't count the episode where I sent the Southern husband out into a raging snowstorm to grill tomatoes for me, this was the first time we cranked up the grill for the 2010 grilling season. All of the sudden it is sunny and gorgeous and 70 degrees here in northern New Jersey, and around my house that means Hamburger Season. We found this creative approach in the Costco Connection magazine -- same place that I found the outrageously wonderful Caramel Apple Cake. The recipe comes from a blog that Costco features from time to time called Amazing Sandwiches, and there are quite a few on that blog that are pretty dang amazing for sure. They have something up there right now that calls for blueberry guacamole, which is a little too exotic for me, but if you like to walk on the wild side sandwich-wise, go check them out.

In the meantime, here's their recipe for Corned Beef Burgers, and here's hoping that wherever you are, spring has sprung.

CORNED BEEF BURGERS, from Amazing Sandwiches

• 8 oz corned beef
• 8 oz ground chuck
  
• 1 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• olive oil
• 4 hamburger buns
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 medium sized Haas avocado, thinly sliced
• Horseradish Mayo (recipe follows)

Preheat the grill or cast iron skillet on medium high.
Place corned beef slices in food processor and pulse for 2 seconds to shred. In a medium sized bowl, combine the shredded corned beef, ground chuck, pepper, salt, cayenne peper and parsley. Divide the mix into four equal portions and form four (1/4 – 1/3 inch thick) burgers. Spray or brush each side with olive oil. Grill (or cook in skillet) for 3 – 4 minutes per side to achieve a medium-well done burger. In the final minute of cooking, place two slices of Swiss cheese on each burger. Cover the grill (skillet) and continue to cook for another minute.
To serve, place 1 tablespoon horseradish mayo on the bottom half of each hamburger bun. Add the burger. Top with one teaspoon more of the horseradish mayo, and a few thin slices of avocado.

Horseradish Mayo

• 8 tbs mayonnaise
• 4 tsp freshly grated horseradish root

Mix mayonnaise and horseradish in small bowl.
Note: Grated horseradish root loses it’s potency, so make just enough to use immediately.

Click here for printable recipe

Sliders with Bacon and Horseradish Sauce

A while back I had the privilege of working with the phenomenal Emeril LaGasse on a series of children's cookbooks, and it was one of the pure pleasures of my life. Emeril is an absolute artist in the kitchen. I can honestly, definitively say that the food I ate at the various events where he cooked was the best I have ever tasted. He has an amazing gift for putting foods together in simple but perfect combinations that make you want to just sing and dance when you taste them.

So when I heard Emeril had a new cookbook, and one that revolves around the grill...oh baby. I thought I would just start on page one and work my way right through to the end, but I was totally sidetracked by page 100. Sirloin Sliders with Crisp Bacon and Creamy Horseradish Mayo. Don't you just want to weep with happiness at the prospect of one of those babies? So last night my husband fired up the old Lazyman grill and we gave this recipe a try, and Emeril? Once again, you ROCK.

I followed the directions to a T (because who am I to question the Master), except that I used hot dog rolls instead of the brioche or dinner rolls -- simply take side-cut hot dog rolls and cut them in thirds, they will be the perfect size. I've included the recipe below because I know it would be total torture to tease you with that picture up there and then not share, but believe me when I say this book is jam-packed with recipes that look just as sensational. Run, do not walk to wherever books are sold and pick this one up -- it is essential reading for anyone who has both a grill and tastebuds. Click link below for more info:

EMERIL AT THE GRILL

Sliders with Bacon and Horseradish Sauce, adapted from EMERIL AT THE GRILL

Makes 12 sliders

• 12 ounces ground beef chuck
• 12 ounces ground sirloin
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 plus 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 12 dinner roll sized brioche buns (or 4 hot dog rolls cut in thirds)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained and broken into 2 inch pieces

1. Combine chuck, sirloin, garlic, onion, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly to combine. Using a 1/4 cup measure, divide mixture into 12 portions. Shape into small patties, 3 inches wide and 3/8 inch thick. Place on plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.

2. Whisk together mayo, sour cream and horseradish. Add remaining salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 3 days in advance).

3. Preheat grill to high.

4. Lightly brush cut sides of buns with butter. Wrap buns in foil and place on coolest part of the grill to warm while you cook the burgers.

5. Grill the burgers for about 2 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to bottom part of buns and garnish with bacon. Spoon a dollop of horseradish cream over the bacon and place bun tops over all. Serve hot.