How to make Pan-fried Shrimp, Olives, and Tomatoes

The deep tastes of the Mediterranean in this dish highlight the sweet flavor of the shrimp.

Ingredients:
Shrimp, or monkfish, scallops, or squid
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
12 large raw shrimp, peeled and tail left intact
splash of dry sherry, or dry white wine
6 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped
large handful of mixed olives, pitted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of basil and flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Here's how:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, and saute for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, and cook for a few seconds, then add in the shrimp and cook over high heat, until they are just turning pink.
• Add the sherry, and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring, until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and olives and cook for a further couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break down. Season well, and stir in the herbs. Serve immediately with fresh crusty bread.

Mouthwatering Seafood Risotto Recipe

Replace the scallops and shrimp with squid for a more economical dish.

Ingredients:
Shrimp and scallops, or squid, and any mixed white fish, such as haddock and pollock
2–3 tbsp olive oil
1lb (450g) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1lb (450g) mixed white fish, cubed
16 scallops, roe removed
2 knobs of butter
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
8 cups hot vegetable or fish stock
11⁄2lb (675g) risotto rice
1 cup medium white wine
6 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and finely chopped
large handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
handful of dill, finely chopped
lemon wedges, to serve

Method:

• Heat half the oil in a frying pan, add the shrimp and seasoning, and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the fish, and more oil, if needed, and cook for a couple of minutes, or until cooked. Remove and set aside.
• Season the scallops, add to the pan with more oil, if needed, and cook for 2 minutes each side. Remove and set aside. Add a knob of butter to the pan, then the onions, and cook over low heat for 5–8 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic. Put the stock in a large pan and keep on a low simmer.
• Stir the rice into the onions. Season, then pour in the wine and increase the heat. Allow to boil for a few seconds while the alcohol evaporates. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more. Continue until the rice is cooked but still has a bit of bite; it should take about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, seafood, and fish, then the herbs and remaining butter. Taste and season, then serve with lemon wedges.

Easy Seafood Spaghetti Recipe

Ingredients:
350g/12oz dried spaghetti
500g/1lb 2oz mussels
700g/11/2lb squid, cleaned
500g/1lb small littleneck clams
300g/11oz shrimps
4 cloves garlic
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
250ml/9fl oz dry white wine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 dried red chillies, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Soak the mussels and clams in water for an hour. Discard any broken mussels or clams, or open ones that don’t close when tapped on the work surface. Under cold running water, scrub the mussels and clams thoroughly to remove any grit, pulling out the beards from the mussels.
• In a large deep frying pan over a medium heat, sweat 1 clove of the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Increase the heat to high, and add the mussels and clams with half of the wine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for about 5 minutes until the shells are open (discard any that remain closed). Remove from the heat and discard the garlic.
• Slice the squid into rings and finely chop the remaining garlic. Heat the remaining oil in another pan, and sauté the garlic, parsley and chillies for a few minutes. Add the squid and cook until the edges curl.
• Pour in the remaining wine and cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the shrimps (just the tails) and cook for a few more minutes before adding the clams and mussels. Simmer for another few minutes, then remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain and add the seafood mixture to the spaghetti, mixing well.Stir over a low heat for a couple of minutes. Serve piping hot.

Shrimp or Scallops with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce

Adding an egg yolk keeps the cream sauce from curdling in the face of the lemon juice and makes the dish even more luxurious. Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, fi  nely chopped
• 1 1⁄2 pounds large shrimp (about 20 per pound), peeled and deveined; 1 1⁄2 pounds cleaned sea scallops; or 1 1⁄2 pounds cleaned bay scallops
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill fronds or 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, preferably white pepper

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet or saute pan set over low heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat even further, and cook slowly, stirring often, until translucent and golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the shrimp or scallops and the dill. Cook, stirring constantly, for 20 seconds, just several good turns in the pot; then pour in the cream.
3. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring constantly. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. 
4. Remove the shrimp or scallops from the sauce with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate.
5. Continue to boil the cream sauce for 1 minute. Whisk about 1⁄2 cup of the cream sauce into the egg yolk until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk this combined mixture back into the remaining cream sauce in the pan.
6. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper; then return the shellfi  sh and any accumulated juices to the pan. Stir well, cover, and set aside off the heat for a few minutes, until the shrimp are pink and firm or the scallops are opaque.

Shrimp or Scallops with Orange Rosemary Cream Sauce: Substitute rosemary for the dill and 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed, for the lemon juice.

Shrimp or Scallops with a Grapefruit Tarragon Cream Sauce: Substitute tarragon for the dill; add 1 teaspoon fi  nely grated grapefruit zest with the tarragon. Substitute freshly squeezed grapefruit juice for the lemon juice.

Making Oven-Roasted Shrimp or Scallops

This may be the quickest way to cook these favorites. The oil is slowly infused with the herbs, then a simple dressinglike sauce is made after the shrimp or scallops have cooked. Makes 4 servings

Here's how:
1. Place 1⁄4 cup olive oil in a 13 × 9-inch baking dish or a 10-inch square baking dish.

2. Add one or two of the following to the baking dish:

• 12 thyme sprigs 
• 8 parsley sprigs
• 8 dried red Asian chiles
• 6 oregano sprigs
• 6 dill fronds
• Four 4-inch rosemary sprigs
• 4 garlic cloves, slivered
• A handful of chives

3. Position the rack in the center of the oven and place the baking dish on the rack. Now set the oven to 450°F and let it preheat for 15 minutes with the dish in the oven so the aromatics slowly infuse the oil.

4. Remembering that the dish is very hot, stir in one of the following:

• 1 1⁄2 pounds medium shrimp (about 35 per pound), peeled and deveined 
• 1 1⁄2 pounds cleaned sea scallops, each cut into 2 disks
• 1 1⁄2 pounds cleaned bay scallops

5. Cook until the shrimp are pink and firm or the scallops are opaque, about 4 minutes for bay scallops, 5 minutes for the halved sea scallops, and 7 minutes for shrimp, tossing a couple of times.

6. Remove the hot baking dish from the oven and stir in:

• 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse-grained sea salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Also stir in one of the following:

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup orange juice
• 1⁄4 cup dry white wine

7. Toss well, scraping up any browned bits and allowing the liquid to evaporate a little from the pan’s heat; then serve at once.