Creamy Shrimp Casserole

This is an amazing dish that will have everyone coming back for seconds.  Here we served over spaghetti but you can serve it alone as a main dish and use your favorite sides such as sauteed spinach, BVC Roasted Broccoli, or BVC Green Beans with Mushrooms.  A dish from heaven!

Creamy Shrimp Casserole

2 lbs medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, shells reserved*

3 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup dry sherry

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

6 medium scallions, white and tender green parts minced

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

hot sauce (Tabasco)

4 cups small oyster crackers

1/4 tsp sweet paprika

freshly ground pepper

salt

Arrange shrimp in a single layer in a shallow glass baking dish.  Cover with saran and refrigerate.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and sherry with the shrimp shells.  Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.  Simmer over moderately low heat for 25 minutes.  Strain through a course sieve set over a large glass measuring cup.  You should have approximately 2 1/2 cups.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Melt the 1 Tbsp butter in a medium skillet.  Add the scallions and cook over moderate heat, stirring for approximately 3 minutes.  Add the shrimp cream and simmer until reduced to approximately 2 cups, about 5 minutes.  Pour the cream into a bowl and stir in lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce.  Let cool until tepid. 

Season shrimp with salt and pepper.  Pour the cooled cream evenly over them.

Put the oyster crackers in a sturdy resealable plastic bag (Zip Lock) and press out all the air then seal to close.  Lay bag on work surface and using a rolling pin or heavy pan crush the crackers until coarse crumbs form.  Transfer to medium bowl.  Add the 4 Tbsp of melted butter and the paprika then stir to coat.

Scatter the cracker crumbs over the shrimp and pat smooth.  Bake the casserole in the center rack of the oven for 25 minutes, or until bubbling around the edges and the shrimp are just cooked through. Turn on the broiler and broil the casserole for approximately 30 seconds, rotating as necessary, until the topping is evenly browned then remove.

Let stand for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before serving.  Enjoy!

MAKE AHEAD SUGGESTION:  The casserole can be prepared up to where you pour the cream over the shrimp and refrigerated overnight.  Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes then add the breadcrumbs on top and cook as directed.

*Note:  I will usually order the shrimp with the shells on and ask the person working the fish counter to shell and devein them for me.  Make sure you tell him to include the shells, however, in a separate bag to take with you.  Much easier this way.

Salmon Oreganata Over Capallini with an Oreganata Sauce

A beautiful and simple meal, the meal is complete the way we show it here, but feel free to serve the salmon separate from the pasta with vegetables or a nice potato au gratin or even mashed potatoes.  The pasta dish is a great on it's own as well as a side or mix in some pancetta for a simple meal.  In our recipe we use capallini pasta (angle hair) but feel free to use your favorite pasta.  If serving pasta alone, I prefer fettuchini or rigatoni for the pasta as they give more body for that situation.

Salmon Oreganata Over Capallini with an Oreganata Sauce

For the salmon:

4 salmon fillets, skinless boneless, 1/3 lb each

1/4 cup panko crumbs

4 Tbsp dried oregano, divided

4 tsp finely grated parmesan chees (or more to taste), divided

4 garlic cloves, divided and minced

2 lemons

olive oil

salt and pepper 

Preheat broiler.

Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil.  Place salmon fillets on the foil.  Brush the tops of the salmon with olive oil then sprinkle with one minced clove of garlic, 1/4 of the panko, 1 tsp parmesan, 1 Tbsp oregano.  Squeeze 1/2 lemon over one fillet and drizzle with olive oil.  Repeat this layering process with each additional fillet.

Place fillets in oven and broil 3-5 minutes until top is slightly browned.  Turn heat on oven down to 325 degrees and cook another 10 minutes (approximately depending on thickness of fish).  Serve immediately.

For the pasta and sauce:

1 package dried pasta (a thin spaghetti, capalini, etc. works well with the salmon)

1 small onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 Tbsp dried oregano (or 2 Tbsp finely minced fresh oregano)

3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped into fine strips (chiffonade)

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomato (finely diced is best)

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

1/2-1 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water (optional)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)*

Cook pasta per directions on package.  It is best to make the sauce first so it is ready when the pasta is finished cooking as the pasta cooks faster than the sauce.  Be sure to reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water prior to draining.

In a large pan, saute the onions 3-5 minutes until soft and just starting to caramelize.  Add in garlic and cook approximately 30 seconds until the strong garlic smell dissapates.  Add in the diced tomato, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and cook about 5 minutes until reduced.  Add in the chicken broth and again reduce 5-10 minutes until almost completely reduced.  Stir in oregano and basil as well as heavy cream.  Adjust seasonings and add salt and pepper.  Add more cream if desired.

When pasta has cooked, drain.  Add 1/2 cup reserved cooking water to the sauce and then add the pasta, stirring to fully coat.  It is best to cook the pasta initially to al dente as when you add it to the sauce and are tossing it, keep the sauce at a simmer and the pasta will finish cooking.  Serve immediately.

*If serving as a side dish without the salmon, you can sprinkle with some Parmesan, or mix the Parmesan into the pasta even.  You can also add sauteed pancetta or grilled vegetables for a nice change, but if topping with the Salmon Oreganata I would just use the simple sauce above.