Firstly, let me apologize for the lengthy delay. I, like many Bostonians, was felled by the flu (swine or similar) this past week. And, even after the symptoms are long gone, the exhaustion tends to linger – hence my pathetic and ragged 1.5 mile run yesterday, all of which felt like the last leg of a 10 mile run. It was so sad that I was forced to cheer myself up with a margarita and filet mignon sliders with Dr. S before going to my film debut (shameless self-promotion) in TEN9EIGHT – as an aside, if you’re in need of a little uplifting, kick-your-butt inspirational story, go see this movie. These kids are amazing!

Anyway, I realize that you’re not here to hear about the flu, my drag-ass run, or an exceptional group of entrepreneurial kids that are daring to make their own American dream…. although, they are easily the most interesting thing on this site. You’re here to hear a bit more about Spicy Shrimp & Tomatoes over Polenta.

In keeping with my vow to honor Gourmet’s passing by keeping all recipes in November from its last two issues, this is an adaptation of Gourmet’s Shrimp and Pancetta on Polenta in the November issue.

I made a few adaptations to the recipe – namely, substituting bacon for the pancetta and using my own (actually, an adaptation of the Barefoot Contessa’s) non-instant polenta recipe in place of their recommended instant polenta. If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you don’t need to ask why. By all means, if it’s important to you to keep this meal’s prep time under 25 minutes, use the instant polenta, but if you have an extra 10-15 minutes to do not a lot of work, then the real thing will really knock your socks off.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Spicy Shrimp & Tomatoes, Serves 4

Adapted from Gourmet

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Total Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the Polenta:

¼ Cup Butter

4 Tbls. Olive Oil

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

½ Tsp. Salt

½ Tsp. Pepper

1 ½ Cups Chicken Stock

1 Cups Half-and-Half

1 Cups Milk

1 Cups Cornmeal

¼ Cup Parmesan, grated

For the Spicy Shrimp & Tomato:

2 Tbls. Olve Oil

4 Slices Bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 14oz. Can Diced Tomatoes

1 lb. Shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 Tbls. Parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Begin the polenta by heating the butter and olive oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and saute for 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock, half-and-half, and milk to the pan and bring to a boil.

Rather than watching the pot, waiting for it to boil, get on making the spicy shrimp and tomatoes. Fry the bacon and red pepper flakes in the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Immediately add the tomatoes, mix in with the bacon and garlic well, and allow to simmer for 8 minutes.

By this time, the polenta liquid should be boiling, or close to. Remove from the heat and very slowly add in the cornmeal, bit by bit, stirring constantly. Return to the stove top over low heat and cook until bubbly, stirring consistently, though not necessarily, constantly (every 1-2 minutes) for 5-8 minutes.

Back to the shrimp and tomatoes…. once your 8 minutes are up, add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn the heat down to very low, just to keep the dish warm but not continue to cook.

Once the polenta has been bubbling for 5-8 minutes, remove from the stove, stir in the Parmesan, and plate. Scoop a healthy serving of the spicy shrimp and tomatoes over the polenta, garnish with a bit of parsley, serve & enjoy!