Entertaining and lifestyle books are all the rage in the cooking world, but few have the culinary credibility and no-nonsense approach that chef Caprial Pence brings to the subject. The fourth installment in Caprial's cooking show companion series, CAPRIAL COOKS FOR FRIENDS presents the beloved chef's take on casual, robust entertaining
John has made this stew since we were first married. The flavors are so exotic that, even after all these years, it's still one of my favorite dinners. It's a good dish to make when we're entertaining unexpectedly because it comes together quickly, yet makes an impression every time.
Serves 6
Coconut Broth
4 cups chicken stock
2 (12-ounce) cans coconut milk
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon peeled, chopped fresh ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, coarsely chopped
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon brown sugar or cane sugar
1 teaspoon chile paste
Stew
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red onion, julienned
2 cups julienned fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1/2 pound snow peas, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 pound rice noodles, softened in hot water
2 pounds shrimp (16 to 20 count), peeled and deveined
Soy sauce
Chile paste
1/2 cup fried shallots, for garnish
Fried Shallots
Makes about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 shallots, julienned
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat until very hot. Add the shallots and cook until crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
To prepare the broth: Combine all the ingredients in a large stockpot over low heat and simmer until very flavorful, about 1 hour. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and set aside. (The broth can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 6 months.)
To prepare the stew: Heat the vegetable oil in a large stockpot over high heat until very hot. Add the garlic and onion, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, peppers, and snow peas, and saute for 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the basil, cilantro, and rice noodles, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook just until the shrimp starts to turn pink, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Season the stew with soy sauce and chile paste to taste. Serve warm, garnished with fried shallots.
Wine Suggestion: I like to pour a dry Riesling with this stew. It has great backbone and doesn't bow down to the lively flavors of this dish.
