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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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This is a delicious starter I developed years ago for a magazine food feature. The shrimps sound like a lot, but they do shrink quite a bit when cooked. EDITED SEPT 2009. Ingredients:
2 lbs large shrimp, cleaned, headless |
olive oil or butter |
1/2 lb cream cheese, room temperature |
1/2 lb blue cheese, room temperature |
2 1/2 tablespoons cornflour |
2 crushed chopped garlic cloves |
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions |
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley |
6 fluid ounces dry white wine (3/4 cup) |
seasoning salt |
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground or 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce |
Directions:
1. Fry the shrimps lightly in a film of hot butter, or a mixture of olive oil and butter. Do this in batches. As soon as they turn pink and curl up, drain and keep aside.
2. Mix the cornflour smoothly into a little of the cream cheese, then mix in the rest of the cream cheese.
3. Grate the blue cheese if firm (otherwise mash it) and mix with the cream cheese in a bowl.
4. Add next 4 ingredients, mix well, then stir in the wine. The wine should be of very good quality, because acidic plonk will spoil the taste of the dish. Whisk to mix everything well together.
5. Melt this cheese-wine mixture in a saucepan, stirring constantly. Watch closely: it should JUST reach boiling point and thicken slightly, otherwise it could curdle.
6. Remove from heat, and stir in the fried shrimps.
7. Taste for seasoning: as blue cheese is salty, you should use your own discretion with the salt.
8. Add pepper or Tabasco to taste: it doesn't have to be the exact quantity stated above.
9. Serve in small heated bowls or ramekins. Garnish each with a thin wedge of lemon.
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