Rev: Shrimp and Fennel in Hot Garlic Sauce

[beckms]

Wow! Yum! This was my first try using fennel, as I have always steered clear because it smells so strongly of licorice when raw. I am afraid no more!

This was a snap to make. The fennel sautes down to a nice, mellow, sweet, crisp-tender yumminess that really goes well with the garlic and shrimp. It doesn't taste like licorice at all once it's cooked.

It was pretty hot, IMO, and I like hot things, so I might ease back on the red pepper a tad next time.

I don't know why this is listed as an appetizer, since it seems much more main-dish to me. Of course, I used a pound of shrimp and divided the whole recipe into two servings...

Oh, and my new discovery at Whole Foods: instead of paying $13.99/lb for shelled, deveined shrimp at the seafood counter, the seafood guy pointed me to the freezer case where they have all varieties of sizes, shell on or off, cooked or raw. When I doubted the taste of frozen shrimp vs. fresh, he told me all of their shrimp arrives frozen at the store, and then they thaw it at the seafood counter! Who knew?

So I paid $4.99 for a pound of large, frozen, deveined, wonderful shrimp. I love those seafood guys at my Whole Foods, they're always so helpful!

[beckms]

I guess the recipe would be helpful, huh?
I just realized I forgot the lime juice...the whole reason I bought a lime! I guess I'll just have to make it again...


* Exported from MasterCook *

Shrimp and Fennel in Hot Garlic Sauce

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 1/2 cups fennel bulb -- thinly sliced (about 3/4 lb)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic -- thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 pound large shrimp -- peeled and deveined
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
lime wedges -- optional

Heat oil in a large nonstick sklillet over medium high heat. Add sliced fennel, salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic, and bay leaf; cook 5 minutes or until fennel is crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

Add red pepper and shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring occasionally. Stire in lime juice. Serve with lime wedges.

Source:
"CL 10/04"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 151 Calories; 5g Fat (29.8% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 129mg Cholesterol; 299mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[Kismet]

Thanks for the review! This one sounded good to me, too. Did you serve it with anything like rice or pasta, or was it fine by itself?

[beckms]

I served it with a side of steamed broccoli. It called for something green.

[Mamasue]

Rebecca I agree that it was too hot for me and will cut down on the crushed red pepper. I also feel that this is more main dish than an appertizer. I mean how can you serve it as an appertizer? I love fennel!

[oceanjasper]

Thanks so much for posting this. I have also always feared fennel, because I am not really keen on the licorice flavour. Now you have me convinced to try this recipe.

As for the frozen packages at the grocery store, I often buy those when I can't make it to the dock or seafood shop to get fresh shellfish. I really like that they aren't a big frozen block, so I can just shake out however many I want for whatever I am making and the rest stay frozen for next time. It only takes minutes, if not seconds, to thaw them out.

[luckylori]

Did you get enough fennel out of 1 bulb for this recipe? Or did you have to buy more than 1?

[beckms]

Originally posted by luckylori
Did you get enough fennel out of 1 bulb for this recipe? Or did you have to buy more than 1?

After removing the outer layer and the inner core, I ended up with approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sliced fennel (I didn't measure). This was fine because BF has a strict "no exotic vegetables" policy , and I was wary of the fennel to begin with.

So the short answer is no, one bulb was not enough for the amount called for, but it was fine for the one person actually eating the fennel.

[bobmark226]

Thanks for the review on this, Rebecca! I printed it out when it originally appeared, had the fennel just waiting for something good, and have shrimp being delivered tomorrow from the online grocer, so I'll most likely have it then.

Thanks again!

Bob

[birdyone]

So happy that this appeared as a 'thread' - I posted on the 'fennel' thread, this is absolutely fantastic - I did not use as much hot pepper as called for - turned out great both times that I have made this thus far. Served it with the Autumn Apple & Spinach Salad, which is also so good - that 'dressing' is so nice and fresh tasting.

[bobmark226]

Originally posted by birdyone
So happy that this appeared as a 'thread' - I posted on the 'fennel' thread, this is absolutely fantastic -

I agree, made it last night and absolutely loved it. Very different from anything I've ever made and certainly a new use for fennel, too. Didn't find the red pepper to be too hot at all, but I like "hot." Served it with a brown basmati orange/saffron pilaf from "Moosewood New Classics." Looked great together on the plate, but it was somewhat overwhelmed by the intense fennel and garlic shrimp. I don't know about the recipe "calling from something green," because this already has a vegetable....maybe a green rice?

Definitely will be doing this again, most likely for company, too.

Bob

[Canice]

I'm looking forward to giving this one a try - thanks for posting, Rebecca! And I so agree about the seafood counter at WF. Because the counter people (what do you call them??) are also the buyers, they are really engaged in their work. There's a woman at my local WFM who not only works seafood, she's an expert on all of their produce and grains!

Now off to find a broccoli recipe to make with the shrimp.....

[Kismet]

Finally made this earlier in the week and thought it was good, but not great. Part of it is likely user error - I burned some of my garlic, so I had to take that out. It wasn't quite garlicky enough for me. One change that I did like - I used Penzey's Aleppo Pepper instead of hot pepper flakes - very yummy! It added a nice citrusy undertone and made it a bit less hot. I will probably try this one again because it was SO easy, and DH loved it.

[VegasDramaQueen]

Thanks so much for the heads up on this recipe. We love shrimp and fennel so this one is a keeper for me. I will probably double the amount of hot pepper flakes since we both love hot things. Your Whole Foods guy was right about shrimp coming in frozen. Here in Vegas all seafood and fish is shipped frozen except salmon and trout. The 4.99 price is great. We love peel and eat shrimp so I keep a couple of bags in my freezer but I pay 6.99 for it. I'm on my way to Whole Foods. Thanks for the recipe.