Garlicky Black-Pepper Shrimp and Black-Eyed Peas

It's sad that Gourmet is gone now, because I've been finding a lot of great recipes that had been published there through the Epicurious app on my iPod. This dish was nice - the peas made it hearty without being too heavy, and the smokiness of the bacon (I used thick center cut rubbed bacon from Whole Foods) really added a nice richness to the delicate shrimp. Don't be shy with the freshly ground black pepper in this dish - it really makes it shine!



Garlicky Black-Pepper Shrimp and Black-Eyed Peas
Gourmet March 2009

For black-eyed peas:
4 bacon slices
4 scallions, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
2 (15-ounces) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

For shrimp:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine

Make black-eyed peas: Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until browned but not crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate, then tear into small pieces.
Cook scallions, carrot, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in fat in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add black-eyed peas and broth and simmer 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Make shrimp: Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Season shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook shrimp with garlic, stirring occasionally, until just opaque (shrimp will not be fully cooked), about
3 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil, then briskly simmer 2 minutes. Add bacon and black-eyed-pea mixture and simmer until just heated through
(mixture will be juicy). Discard bay leaves.

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars