Caramelized Shrimp with Gingered Orzo

Name: Caramelized Shrimp with Gingered Orzo
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked orzo; zest from 1 large lemon, about 1 tablespoon; juice from 1 large lemon, about 2 tablespoons; 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated, about 2 tablespoons; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper; ½ cup granulated sugar; ¼ cup fish sauce; 1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced, about ¼ cup; 1 Fresno chili, seeded, deveined, and thinly sliced, about 2 tablespoons; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon; 1 pound fresh jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 21 to 25; 2 to 3 green onions, thinly sliced, about 2 tablespoons; fresh parsley, chopped

Coastal Mains

Caramelized Shrimp with Gingered Orzo

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The Strategy:

This recipe aggressively forces heavy, sweet caramel to collide with the violently savory umami of fish sauce and sharp heat of Fresno chilies. By rapidly flashing the massive jumbo shrimp in this ferociously bubbling, deeply golden syrup, the shrimp take on a heavily caramelized, intensely sticky exterior. Serving these deeply colored shrimp over a massive bed of sharply acidic, heavily gingered orzo provides a brilliantly contrasting, high-end textural experience that instantly elevates a fast weeknight dinner into a luxurious coastal event.

Serves: 6 to 8 | Total Time: 30 minutes till it’s ready

Ingredients

For pasta

1 cup uncooked orzo
zest from 1 large lemon, about 1 tablespoon
juice from 1 large lemon, about 2 tablespoons
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated, about 2 tablespoons
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

For shrimp

½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup fish sauce
1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced, about ¼ cup
1 Fresno chili, seeded, deveined, and thinly sliced, about 2 tablespoons
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
1 pound fresh jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 21 to 25
2 to 3 green onions, thinly sliced, about 2 tablespoons

For garnish

fresh parsley, chopped

Ingredients arranged: a bowl of massive raw grey shrimp, uncooked orzo pasta, huge knobs of fresh ginger, bright yellow lemons, granulated sugar, dark fish sauce, vivid red Fresno chilies, shallots, garlic, and vibrant green scallions around a heavy cast-iron skillet on a marble prep board.

Instructions

Make the orzo

Cook the orzo in a deep, lidded pot filled with boiling salted water until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat, drain, and return the orzo to the pot while you make the sauce.
Add the lemon zest, juice, and ginger into a bowl.
Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Pour this mixture over the cooked orzo and toss.
Cover the pot with the lid and let the pasta absorb the lemony goodness from the sauce.

Cook the shrimp

Add the sugar to a skillet over medium heat.
Add ¼ cup water.
Stir the sugar until it dissolves. Continue cooking and stirring until it begins to turn golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Take the pan on and off the heat as you do this to make sure the caramel does not burn. Continue cooking as the sugar becomes caramel and is fragrant. Your caramel will look golden and syrupy.
Pour in the fish sauce. Be careful; the sauce will bubble up ferociously!
Reduce the heat to low.
Stir in the shallot, Fresno pepper, and garlic.
Season with black pepper.
Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook until opaque, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Spoon the orzo into a large shallow bowl. Top with shrimp and sauce. Garnish with green onion and parsley.

A cook's hand using heavy silver tongs to toss massive, bright pink jumbo shrimp in a cast-iron skillet violently boiling with thick, sticky, intensely dark golden-brown caramel and fish sauce, with bright red Fresno chili slices visible in the bubbling syrup.

Thing to Note

✦ Thawing Shrimp: Most shrimp is frozen right after being caught. This is the most efficient way to get them to market. Thaw frozen shrimp by placing them into a colander and running cold water over them. Pat dry before adding them into the sauce to cook.

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The Heart of the Table

Placing a massively oversized, shallow ceramic bowl overflowing with vibrant yellow gingered orzo and deeply dark, sticky caramelized shrimp instantly centers the room. The intense, aggressive aroma of sweet caramel, sharp ginger, and fiery chili hitting the air forces guests to eagerly gather around, aggressively passing the heavy bowl and eagerly securing the sticky, sweet-and-savory shrimp.

8 guests gathered tightly around a massive kitchen island, laughing loudly, passing heavy ceramic bowls, and drinking icy Riesling in glasses on a Palm Beach Estate. A massive steaming ceramic bowl of Caramelized Shrimp and Orzo anchors the lively coastal dinner party.

Neighborly Grace

THE PRESENTATION: Do not plate individually. Mound the sharply dressed, lemon-and-ginger soaked orzo into the absolute center of a massive ceramic serving bowl. Violently pour the massive shrimp and the intensely sticky, dark golden caramel sauce directly over the top, ensuring the syrup runs down into the pasta. Shower aggressively with bright green scallions and chopped parsley.
THE POUR: The intense sweetness of the caramel and the violent heat of the chilies demand a fiercely aromatic, off-dry white wine. A wildly chilled, heavily floral German Riesling or a razor-sharp, intensely fruity Gewürztraminer perfectly tames the heat while matching the intensity of the sweet umami sauce.
THE VIBE: High-energy, sophisticated weeknight dinners. This is the wildly impressive meal you execute on a warm Tuesday evening, served directly on the kitchen island, demanding an atmosphere of loud, fast-paced, and completely unrestrained indulgence.

Chef’s Recommendations

Ginger in the Brine: Pickled Shishito Peppers & Summer Vegetables
Citrus, Carried into the Sweet: Lime and Toasted Coconut Biscotti
The Pitcher for the Table: Tropical Margarita Bar
Something Fresh Alongside: Balsamic Corn & Watercress Salad

The Estate Table

Build tonight’s menu around this dish.

✦ Set the Table

Caramelized Shrimp with Gingered Orzo

Caramelized Shrimp with Gingered Orzo

The full recipe lives in the Vault

The Heart of the Table

Neighborly Grace

✨ The Gilded Swaps