the gnocchi and cook until they are golden brown and warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with one-third of the remaining sea salt and transfer the gnocchi to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining butter, pecans, and gnocchi.
Serve immediately.
CREAMY COCONUT RICE
S ERVES 4
Since we love cooking Asian food at home, we almost always have a large bag of Japanese or short-grain rice on hand. You can use Japanese rice in any recipe that calls for short-grain rice, for example, in place of Arborio rice in risotto. We cook this rice dish like risotto, starting with white wine and shallots and gradually adding liquid as it cooks. The coconut recalls Thai and Caribbean dishes, but we like to serve it with New Orleans flair, alongside spicy crawfish.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup short-grain or Japanese rice
¼ cup white wine
4 cups water
1 cup coconut puree (see Sources )
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic and decrease the heat to medium-low. Cook until the shallots are soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir for about 1 minute. Add the white wine, stir to incorporate, and cook until the wine is almost fully absorbed. Add the water, ½ cup at a time, while stirring, making sure it is almost fully absorbed each time before adding the next portion. Once all of the water has been added and is completely absorbed, add the coconut puree and stir well.
Remove the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
“SHRIMP CREOLE” RISOTTO
S ERVES 4
The classic shrimp creole is a rustic dish comprised of shrimp stewed in a spicy tomato sauce served over white rice. This highbrow version maintains all of the flavors of the original, but with separate, perfectly cooked ingredients. Risotto is the creamy vehicle that brings all of the flavors together in each bite.
24 medium shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and deviened, shells reserved
2 cups cold water
5 tablespoons light olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and minced
2 medium carrots, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
2 small white onions, minced
1-inch-wide strip orange zest, white pith removed
1 jalapeño chile, minced
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic
Sprig of flat-leaf parsley
2 sprigs thyme, plus 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, for garnish
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (12-ounce) can imported Italian whole tomatoes with juice
1 cup white wine
1 cup Arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock , warmed
¼ cup unsalted butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 green onions, white and green parts, cut into thin rings, for garnish
To make the sauce, place all of the shrimp shells in a medium saucepan and cover with the cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then decrease to a simmer. Skim any impurities that rise to the surface off with a ladle and discard. Cook the stock for 25 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve.
In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until smoking. Decrease the heat to medium and add the bell pepper, half of the carrot, half of the celery, half of the minced onion, the orange zest, chile, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves of the garlic, sprig of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Cook the vegetables until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and ½ cup of the white wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add enough of the shrimp stock to just cover the vegetables with liquid (about 1 cup). Cook the sauce for 20 minutes. Remove all the herbs and puree in a blender until smooth. (Before turning on the machine, be sure the lid is tightly secured and covered with a towel to prevent the hot mixture from escaping.)
Return the sauce to the pan on a warm stove and reserve.
To make the risotto, place a saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the
Serve immediately.
CREAMY COCONUT RICE
S ERVES 4
Since we love cooking Asian food at home, we almost always have a large bag of Japanese or short-grain rice on hand. You can use Japanese rice in any recipe that calls for short-grain rice, for example, in place of Arborio rice in risotto. We cook this rice dish like risotto, starting with white wine and shallots and gradually adding liquid as it cooks. The coconut recalls Thai and Caribbean dishes, but we like to serve it with New Orleans flair, alongside spicy crawfish.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup short-grain or Japanese rice
¼ cup white wine
4 cups water
1 cup coconut puree (see Sources )
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic and decrease the heat to medium-low. Cook until the shallots are soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir for about 1 minute. Add the white wine, stir to incorporate, and cook until the wine is almost fully absorbed. Add the water, ½ cup at a time, while stirring, making sure it is almost fully absorbed each time before adding the next portion. Once all of the water has been added and is completely absorbed, add the coconut puree and stir well.
Remove the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
“SHRIMP CREOLE” RISOTTO
S ERVES 4
The classic shrimp creole is a rustic dish comprised of shrimp stewed in a spicy tomato sauce served over white rice. This highbrow version maintains all of the flavors of the original, but with separate, perfectly cooked ingredients. Risotto is the creamy vehicle that brings all of the flavors together in each bite.
24 medium shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and deviened, shells reserved
2 cups cold water
5 tablespoons light olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and minced
2 medium carrots, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
2 small white onions, minced
1-inch-wide strip orange zest, white pith removed
1 jalapeño chile, minced
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic
Sprig of flat-leaf parsley
2 sprigs thyme, plus 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, for garnish
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (12-ounce) can imported Italian whole tomatoes with juice
1 cup white wine
1 cup Arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock , warmed
¼ cup unsalted butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 green onions, white and green parts, cut into thin rings, for garnish
To make the sauce, place all of the shrimp shells in a medium saucepan and cover with the cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then decrease to a simmer. Skim any impurities that rise to the surface off with a ladle and discard. Cook the stock for 25 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve.
In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until smoking. Decrease the heat to medium and add the bell pepper, half of the carrot, half of the celery, half of the minced onion, the orange zest, chile, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves of the garlic, sprig of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Cook the vegetables until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and ½ cup of the white wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add enough of the shrimp stock to just cover the vegetables with liquid (about 1 cup). Cook the sauce for 20 minutes. Remove all the herbs and puree in a blender until smooth. (Before turning on the machine, be sure the lid is tightly secured and covered with a towel to prevent the hot mixture from escaping.)
Return the sauce to the pan on a warm stove and reserve.
To make the risotto, place a saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the
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