Grilled Santa Barbara Prawns With Blood Orange Glaze Recipes

SANTA BARBARA SPOT PRAWNS WITH TOMATO CONFIT, GARLIC, AND CHILE

Steps:

• Use kitchen scissors to cut the shells of the spot prawns down their backs, from the base of their heads to the tip of their tails. (Don't remove the shells.) If the prawns are wet, dry them with paper towels.
• Heat two heavy-bottomed sauté pans over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Swirl 2 tablespoons olive oil into each pan, and carefully place the prawns in the pans, on their sides. (You will need to cook the prawns in batches to avoid overcrowding them.) Season each batch of prawns with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Pour another 2 tablespoons oil into each pan, and cook about 5 minutes, until the shells get some color and the flesh begins to turn opaque on the first side.
• Turn the prawns over, drizzle another 2 tablespoons oil into each pan, and season the second side of each batch with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook another 3 minutes or so, until the prawns are just cooked. (You can peek inside the cut shell to see that the flesh is completely opaque.)
• Remove the prawns to a platter, and turn the heat under both pans down to medium-low. Divide the shallots, thyme, and sliced chiles between the two pans. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook 2 minutes, until the shallots are translucent, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the flavorful shrimp bits. Divide the garlic between the pans, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the shallots and garlic are soft and just starting to color. Turn the heat back up to high, and add half the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper to each pan. Taste for seasoning, and cook a minute, stirring often.
• Spoon the hot yellow tomato confit onto a large warm platter.
• Add half the prawns, sliced parsley, oregano, and the two basils to each pan, and roll the prawns in the cherry tomatoes to coat well. This final step is a little cumbersome but really helps coat the prawns in the cherry tomato sauce.
• Arrange the prawns on the platter, and squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over them. Spoon the remaining cherry tomato sauce over the top.
• Serve with lots of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce and juices. The prawns would also be great with steamed rice or over pasta.
• Yellow Tomato Confit
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Scatter the red onion, chiles, garlic, and basil and oregano sprigs in a baking dish. Core the yellow tomatoes and place them, stem side down, on top of the onions. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt, and pour the olive oil and 1 cup water over the tomatoes.
• Cook the tomatoes in the oven about 50 minutes, until they soften and blister. Remove the pan from the oven, and let cool 10 minutes. Strain the tomatoes and onions over a bowl, saving the juice. Discard the herbs and half the chiles.
• Transfer half the tomato mixture to a blender with 1/2 cup of the liquid. (You will need to purée in batches.) Process at the lowest speed until the tomatoes are puréed. Pour in more liquid, a little at a time, until the tomato confit is the consistency of heavy cream. Turn the speed up, and blend about a minute, until completely smooth. Transfer to a container, and repeat with the second half of the tomatoes. (You may not need all the liquid.) Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Taste for seasoning.
• Note
• If you can't find spot prawns, make this summer dish with another type of fresh prawn or large gulf shrimp sold in their shells.
• You can make the yellow tomato confit in the morning. The rest of the cooking must be done at the last minute, but you can get all the slicing and herb-prepping done ahead, so that when it comes time to cook you'll be ready. The spot prawns should be cleaned right before they're cooked and not any earlier. When it comes to sautéing the prawns, for six people you'll need two or three sauté pans, or you can do them in batches. While cooking the shallots and tomatoes in one pan, you could be sautéing the last batch of prawns in the other.

SWEET SANTA BARBARA SHRIMP WITH ROASTED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM AND HARICOTS VERTS SALAD WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATOES AND A BANYULS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Chill 4 salad plates. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a medium sized bowl add the mushrooms, diced garlic, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, mix all ingredients together until mushrooms are well coated. Place mushrooms, bottoms down, on a sheet pan, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes or until sweet, juicy, and tender. Remove from oven and dice. Meanwhile, Reduce the remaining 1 3/4 cups balsamic vinegar to a sweet glaze over low heat in a small saucepan.
• Cut the sweet onions in quarters, then slice the onion into very thin julienne. Make sure you slice them so the onion slices do not stick together. Shock the uncooked onions in an ice bath for 4 minutes, strain the onions from the ice bath, set aside.
• Mix the peppercress and baby lettuce together in a large bowl and set aside.
• Season shrimp with salt and pepper and sear in olive oil in a hot pan. Set aside.
• Using a small squirt bottle, or any small plastic container that will withhold a strong shake, add the Banyuls vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Shake for 1 minute, until all is well mixed and salt has dissolved. Add the grapeseed and canola oil and shake again. Add the tomatoes, chives, shallots, haricots verts, and the shrimp to the lettuce mixture, and mix gently and slowly. Add the vinaigrette to lightly coat the coating to all the ingredients. Using chilled salad plates carefully place the salad in layers forming a nice small peak. Garnish with balsamic syrup and serve.

SANTA BARBARA SHRIMP WITH MUSTARD

Steps:

• Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Using 2 large saute pans, heat the oil until it begins to smoke. Over very high heat, saute the shrimp for 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a warm plate, set aside, and keep warm.
• To each saute pan, add 1 minced shallot and 1 tablespoon minced tarragon. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze each pan with the sherry and then combine the sauce in one pan. Add the cream and reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in the butter, 1 small piece at a time. Whisk in the mustard, just at the last minute. Do not let the sauce boil, or the mustard will become grainy. Correct seasoning to taste.
• Arrange the shrimp decoratively on serving plates, nap with sauce, and sprinkle with chives.

SEARED COD WITH BLOOD ORANGE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Remove the fish from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring the pan to a high heat.
• Pat the fish dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt.
• When the oil is very hot but not smoking, gently add the fish to the pan. DO NOT try to move the fillets. After 2 to 3 minutes, shake the pan gently and the fish should unstick itself. If the pan was hot enough, it will release. If not, using a fish spatula, GENTLY scrape it from the bottom of the pan. Cook the fish for 1 more minute and then turn it over, placing it on a wire rack set in a sheet tray. Transfer to the oven and cook until cooked through, another 10 to 12 minutes.
• Ditch the oil from the pan and add the orange juice, zest, chopped oranges, sugar, vinegar, thyme and a pinch of salt. Bring the liquid to a boil (BTB), reduce it to a simmer (RTS) and reduce the liquid by half. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The sauce should have a great tangy, sweet and sour mix.
• Spoon the sauce over the seared cod and serve immediately.

FRESH ORANGE POUND CAKES WITH AN ORANGE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Grease 24 (1/2 cup) mini bundt pans (2 pans of 12 mini bundt tins). In an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat until smooth.
• Add the eggs and yolks, 1 at a time, and continue to beat until incorporated. Add the orange zest and vanilla. Add the flour and salt, 1/2 cup at a time until the batter is smooth. Spoon 1/3 cup of the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top of the cake domes and are slightly golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Unmold the cakes onto wire racks.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and orange juice together. Whisk until smooth. Place the wire racks over a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the glaze over each cake. Sprinkle the top of each cake with the almonds. Cool the cakes to room temperature. Place the cakes on a serving platter and serve.