6.8.10
This is what happens when I Just Love My Apron takes on Western cuisine!
You won't see me sharing western cuisine often. I do cook that style but most of the time they are basic dishes that you can find anywhere. However, this one is different...(smile). It has developed over time and finally found a spot to stay in my food membrane.
A friend of ours from Alaska was in town on Memorial day weekend and stayed with us. For his last dinner in Seattle for this trip, I offered him a homemade meal. He just found out that I'm a food blogger who cooks/bakes and blogs about it. No surprise, he had high expectations of me. Since he's from Alaska where there is plenty of seafood, I decided to make him a Seafood dish to remind him of Alaska (how funny). He's not really familiar with Asian cuisine and I didn't want to torture him, so pasta was a smart move for his sake!
Boil pasta in cranberry juice
This dish is inspired by a conversation I had with a friend at a non-profit event. We were talking about food and got to food blogs. He asked me one question that I struggled with--what is your signature western dish? Hmm..I paused and thought for a while and decided to tell him that I actually didn't know. Maybe I didn't have one? It's hard to find one because once you name it, it's your signature, your name is on it. Since then I've been searching for one and decided to take this dish as my western signature dish!...for now...There's still room to grow so maybe I will have a new signature dish or a new version of this pasta in the next couple months?
As you're reading this post, what is your signature western dish?
I have learned a new trick of cooking shrimp from the Momofuku Cookbook and have applied it to this dish. It makes a big difference. You pan-grill the shrimp and use the back of a wooden spoon or a heavy pan to put some weight on them. It makes the shrimp crispier and smokier but moist inside. It's tasty. Period.
I've also learned from you, awesome bloggers, whose blogs I have visited. You know who I'm talking about if you have seen me pop onto your blog frequently! Every element of food is important. It should be flavorful and when all the flavorful components are combined the result?.....scrumptious dish....
Add mushroom. Saute it till mushroom starts to cook through. They will absorb oil, so add 1 TBS of butter.
Add white wine. Simmer it for 10 mins. Add cream and tomato paste. Use wooden spoon stir for the paste to dissolve.
Add 1/2 cup cranberry juice. Add bay leaf, and all the seasonings. Let it simmer for 15 mins
Add scallops in the sauce; stir
In a meantime, pan-grill the shrimps. Heat up a cast iron pan. Add butter. When butter is melting and starts to bubble. Add shrimps
Cook shrimps for about 2 mins on each side. The trick is to use a back of a wooden spoon or spatula to put some weight on the shrimps so that their edge get crispy and to create a smokey flavor. After cook all the shrimps, set aside by covering with foil
Going back to the sauce, add sour cream, stir, then add cheese. Add salt and pepper if needed
To Plate:
Place pasta on a prepared dish, pour the cream sauce over, place shrimps on top, and sprinkle with minced parsley
Sprinkle with more cheese if needed
We finished the evening off with this homemade cream cheese brownie and ice creamCranberry Fettuccine Tomato Cream Sauce With Shrimps and Scallops