Ginger Love

Do you love ginger? Than you need to talk with Patrick. He LOVES ginger. I am a little more ambivalent about ginger. I like it in moderation, but I wouldn't use the term love for it. When I say that Patrick loves ginger, I truly mean it. He has been known to eat or drink something that is defined as being ginger-y - ginger beer is a good example - and comment that it is not ginger-y enough. In Korea he used to drink this ginger honey tea, that made me gag, but he couldn't get enough of it. Ginger Altoids, ginger chews, candied ginger... you name it and he loves it.

Which is the one of the reasons why I decided to try this recipe for Pasta with Shrimp and Ginger Cream from "Fish Without a Doubt" by Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore. As I'm sure you've heard, if you read anything about healthy living, that eating seafood several times a week is very good for your overall health. When I read about this book from "Gourmet" magazine, I realized that I needed to own it. Not only because we are trying to live healthier but also because I need to overcome my fear of fish!

Seafood is something that I have never been very comfortable cooking. I have had more practice cooking shrimp than I do any other forms of seafood. Whenever I think of serving seafood, I remember my mom's attempts at cooking fish, and quickly think of something else to cook! As I've mentioned, my mom is not a good cook - she will be the first to say it. I decided that I must overcome this fear, and this is a start. I am planning on trying to cook fish at least once a week, and will be sharing my trials and tribulations with you. Wish me luck!

Now, before I go on with the recipe, let me say that the ginger is very understated. The soaking of the ginger in the wine mellows the flavor. I was a little afraid when I took my first bite of the finished results and thought "Wow! This is really good." I think that you will be pleasantly surprised. It made a great light spring dinner, with the snow peas and tomatoes. The plum tomatoes did not look great when I was at my local store, so I bought grape tomatoes, and they added a wonderful extra sweetness to the dish. As for the fat content... well, we've got to splurge every once in a while, don't we?

Pasta with Shrimp and Ginger Cream

From "Fish Without a Doubt" by Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore

1 (4 inch) knob fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks

1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

Olive oil

1 pound large (21-30) shrimp, shelled and butterflied

Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 pound thin spaghetti

1/2 pound snow peas, tipped, strings pulled, and cut on an angle into thin julienne

1/2 pound plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Soak the ginger in the wine for about 15 minutes

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. When the skillet's hot, pour in a slick of olive oil. Add the shrimp, season with salt and white pepper, and add the butter. Saute the shrimp until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Put the skillet back on the heat and add the ginger and wine, the shallots, and champagne vinegar. Bring to a boil and boil to reduce the liquid to about 3 tablespoons. Pour in the cream, season with salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the cream simmers actively and cook until the cream has reduced by one third. Add the shrimp and any juices from the bowl.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta. When it is al dente, add the snow peas to the boiling pasta and then drain.

To serve, make a mound of the pasta in the center of four dinner plates. Spoon some of the sauce on the past and the rest around it. Arrange the shrimp in a circle around the pasta. Garnish with the tomatoes and serve immediately.