A French twist to shrimp
This is my French-flavoured version of peel ‘n’ eat shrimp. The sauce is delicious and warrants a whole baguette just for sopping up!
It’s one of those summer dishes that I make frequently for friends and family. The dish pays homage to one of my favourite places on earth, the South of France, where pastis was born.
The flavours of pastis — the anise-flavoured aperitif from the south of France — and big, fat jumbo shrimp in the shell complement each other.
Ricard is the pastis brand most commonly available in the states, but if you can’t find it, you can use its cooking cousin, Pernod. Pernod is a useful kitchen staple, and is great paired with shellfish, chicken, mushrooms and spinach — anything that is good seasoned with tarragon.
I leave the shrimp in the shell to protect it from the heat, and because much of the flavour is in the shell. The shrimp can cook longer if left in the shell, absorbing more of the flavours of the fragrant sauce — plus, it is fun to peel and eat the shrimp once they are cooked.
I place the shrimp in the bottom of a gratin dish and pour a full-flavoured potion of pastis, olive oil, garlic, fennel seed, green peppercorns, tarragon and coarse sea salt over it. Once the shrimp are soaked in the sauce, I place the gratin dish in a pre-heated grill or oven, and let them cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on their size. You’ll know when the shrimp are done when they are curled up and pink. It is better to take them out a little under-done than over-done. The smell is intoxicating!
Serve the shrimp hot-off-the-grill in the gratin dish, and soak up the sauce with a loaf of crusty French bread.