Sauteed Shrimp With Garlic & Leeks (prepared in a Rum-cream Sauce and Served Over Pasta)

Although I consider myself an omnivore/flexitarian this dish as prepared here should be suitable for a pescatarian. A lacto-vegetarian can leave out the shrimp. A true vegetarian, or vegan, can leave out the shrimp and the cream (and add almost any vegetable of their choice; green peas, carrots, squash, all work well).

For those of you who enjoy all kinds of food, chicken or a variety of seafood can be substituted for shrimp.

Step 1: INGREDIENTS (for 2 Servings)

1. 2 TBS Grapeseed Oil
2. 1 TBS Unsalted butter
3. 1 whole fresh Leek, rinsed clean and sliced
4. 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and *thickly sliced
5. Juice of 1/2 lemon
6. 1/4 cup of **half & half, or heavy cream
7. 1 TBS of Old Bay Seafood Seasoning (more or less; just enough to dust both sides of the fresh shrimp)
8. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
9. 1/3 cup Rum (preferably Spiced Rum (also optional)
10. 1 dozen fresh raw large shrimp (about 1/2 lb.)
11. 1 cup of ***Shrimp Stock (chicken stock or vegetable stock can be substituted)
12. 4 ounces Linguine (or your favorite pasta) prepared according to package instructions

NOTES:

• *I like to slice my garlic a bit on the thick side; then place it in a cold skillet along with the cooking oil; then heat over medium heat just until it begins to brown; Then remove it from the pan (or add the next ingredients if ready to do so). This is a trick that I learned from one of my favorite chef's, Nick Stellino of Sicily. (This procedure allows the flavor of the garlic to be imparted into the cooking oil).
• **If using half & half instead of heavy cream, Melt the 1 TBS of unsalted butter and add the cream to it before introducing it to the pan. (This helps to thicken the half & half).
• ***I make my own shrimp stock; then freeze and defrost as needed by saving and using the shrimp shells (they can be frozen and used whenever you want to make stock:

• 1. Place 1 TBS of cooking oil in the bottom of a large skillet or a 2 to 3 quart pot and heat over med. heat.
• 2. Rinse the shrimp shells and add them to the pot; allow them to cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring often.
• 3. Add 1-1/2 quarts of water to the pot; pressing own on the shells with a cooking spoon or spatula and let them simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.
• 4. Strain the liquid and add salt if needed. You can use the stock immediately or freeze in a jar for future use.

Step 2: PREPARATION:

1. Rinse and pat dry the fresh shrimp.
2. Dust then on both sides with the Old Bay Seasoning and set aside.
3. Rinse the raw Leek , being certain to remove any/all sand. Cut off the heaviest dark green leaves and discard (or save and freeze or refrigerate for later use in a stock or soup). Remove a thin slice from the root-end of the leek and discard. Split the leek lengthwise; then turn it over and split the 2nd side lengthwise; then slice the white and remaining green parts into approximately 1" pieces.. Set aside.
4. Peel and slice the garlic (as previously mentioned, I slice mine thick, but do as you prefer).
5. Pour out and set aside 1 to 1-1/2 cups of stock (shrimp, chicken, or vegetable).
6. Place the S&P and red pepper flakes in a small dish.
7. Mix and set aside the butter/cream mixture if using.
8. Squeeze out 1 TBS of fresh lemon juice.
9. If using, measure out and set aside the 1/3 cup of rum.

Once you begin cooking things will move along quite fast. Try to have all of the ingredients that you are going to use prepped and ready to add to the pan as needed!

Step 3: START COOKING . . .

Prepare your pasta as directed. While the pasta is cooking begin cooking the remaining ingredients:

1. Add the 2 TBS of cooking oil and the chopped garlic to a heavy non-stick pan or cast iron skillet (my choice) and heat over medium heat.
2. Stir frequently tossing the garlic around until it begins to brown. Remove and set aside momentarily.
3. Immediately add the dusted shrimp and stir fry for 2 or 3 minutes; then remove them, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
4. Add the chopped leeks to the pan, along with cooked garlic and the salt and pepper (and red pepper flakes if using) and stir fry for 2 or 3 minutes only (add a little more cooking oil if needed).
5. Add *1 cup of the stock, the lemon juice, and then the cream and rum (if using) and bring the mixture to a boil.
6. Return the cooked shrimp to the pan and remove the pan from the heat.
7. Add the pasta to the pan and stir to mix everything together (you can add a little pasta water if needed).
8. Serve immediately.

• *NOTE: If the pan ingredients look a little to dry after adding the 1 cup of stock, you can add the remaining half cup. As noted in step 7 above, you will also be able to add a little pasta water after removing the pan from heat if needed.

Step 4: TIME TO EAT . . .

Ahhh, so good! Although I did not include grated cheese in the recipe as you can see I have grated some good parmigiana over my dinner dish.

Bon Appetit

Step 5: NUTRITION

I have calculated the nutritional values of this recipe to the best of my ability using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Analyzer. Cheese and beverage are not included in the analysis.