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June 2008
Seared Shrimps with Sea Salt
Gambas Grillés au Sel de Mer
photo by France Ruffenach
This recipe suits
many sizes of shrimp, from giant gambas and prawns on down,
including langoustines (scampi or Dublin Bay prawns). The shrimps
must be raw, and in their shells, with or without heads, but don’t
use baby shrimps as they will absorb too much salt. Here’s the
place to use your special artisan fleur de sel. You’ll find guests
jump right in, peeling the shellfish at table as a first course or
luxurious main course.
Serves 4 as a
first course
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1 1/2 to 2
pounds/675 to 900 grams gambas, scampi, or large raw shrimps
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1/4 cup/30
grams/1 ounce cornstarch
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1 tablespoon/18
grams/3/4 coarse sea salt
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2 tablespoons
vegetable oil, more if needed
-
Freshly ground
black pepper, for serving
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Medium sauté
pan or deep frying pan
Peel and devein the gambas. Mix the
cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl, add the gambas and toss them
until coated. Heat the oil in the sauté pan over medium heat. When
almost smoking, add half the gambas, spreading them flat. Press
them down with another heavy pan on top. Fry until lightly
browned, 1 to 2 minutes depending on their size. Remove the top
pan, turn the gambas, press again, and brown the other side, 1 to
2 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining gambas, adding more
oil if necessary. Serve at once, very hot, passing the peppermill
for a topping of freshly ground pepper.
Excerpted from THE COUNTRY COOKING OF FRANCE
by Anne Willan, Chronicle Books, 2007.
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