This Shrimp is Back in the Kitchen!

The long anticipated (by me) Holiday edition is here...this shrimp is back in the kitchen. We started the week at our dear friends' house in Long Island for the annual Italian Christmas Eve to remember. The two beautiful little girls, Sarah, 4, and Julianna, 2, ate 12 pieces of shrimp cocktail each. Year after year, they inhale the shrimp and handle it like real women, I am impressed. We had courses and courses of unbelievable food. The broiled lobster tails were to die for & I am getting the recipe for Braude's Bites.

Yesterday, I leafed through my giant recipe binder in search of a new recipe to try. I've been out of the kitchen for weeks and needed a serious comeback from my hiatus. I found some recipes from our dinner at David Paul's Lahaina Grill in Maui. After our favorite dinner on our honeymoon in Hawaii, I asked the waiter if I could have the recipe for their ahi tuna. In New York, I wouldn't have even asked. In the true spirit of Hawaii, he came out with 6 recipes for all of their classic dishes, all typed up on letterhead for patrons! Truth is you have to adapt the recipes for your home kitchen, unless you're into spending hours in the kitchen making tequila butter to put in the tequila beurre blanc to pour on the tequila shrimp- who are we kidding?

Tequila Shrimp and Vanilla Bean Rice from David Paul's
Serves 4 people

Maui Tequila Shrimp

1 1/2 lbs deveined shrimp
1/2 oil (I used olive, they used corn oil)
1 1/2 tsp chili paste
1 1/2 tsp cilantro
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp bown sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 cup tequila
1/2 tsp worcestershire
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Peel and wash the shrimp.Combine all ingredients & marinate the shrimp in a container for at least 1 hour. Take the shrimp out of the marinade & place it in a single layer on a saute pan over medium heat until shrimp are cooked through. Do not overcook,once the shrimps are all pink, take them off.

This easy shrimp recipe boasts spicy flavor and is complimented with a vanilla bean rice. Use this for a weekday meal. It wouldn't be ideal for company cause it's tough not to overcook the shrimp if they sit for a bit and you can't shock them in ice water with their marinade. You could steam them for 30 seconds.

Vanilla Bean Rice

1 Tbsp shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup Jasmine Rice
3 cups clam or fish broth
1 split vanilla bean

Vanilla beans are expensive, but they are worth it. Cook rice over medium heat with vanilla bean, shallots, butter and clam broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff. This recipe has some strengths in that the rice was a Thai sticky rice and tasted of vanilla, but I found the clam broth a bit overpowering. Any suggestions from fellow chefs?