Pan Sauté Shrimp

This dish is not so much about the ingredients and measurements as it is about prep and method.  Like me...not so much about the grammar and punctuation as it is about the blog account and password that I own.  
Learn the proper application of heat & seasoning and just about anything will be fabulous.  In plain southern English - get the fixin part right and you're good to go.  Know your burner, your pan, and the time each ingredient needs to get right.  The more you do it the better you get at it.  Until then, know your fire extinguisher and Chinese delivery number.   Hey, I've made my share of dog food.  I've grossly misappropriated spices before.  It's pretty sweet when a house guest says the dish is great while they wipe sweat off their forehead.  From Mom, Michelle, and Chef Greg I've gleaned some kitchen wisdoms.  This post is a rare admission that they all knew something I didn't.   I'd appreciate it if you keep that under you hat for now.  Thanks.
Tell the critics in your house to either shut up, do it themselves, or get busy with the vacuum cleaner.  Constructive criticism is received much better when the critic found their way off the sofa and did something productive before offering advice on how to do something they had no intentions of ever doing themselves in the first place.  Like how I would advise Lance Armstrong he drop down to 7th gear before he tackles the L' Alpe d'Huez.

This shrimp dish comes together pretty fast once the heat is rolling. Get the ingredients ready so you can react to what the saute' pan is telling you.  Chop, slice, & dice everything first.  Some stuff, like a shrimp, is best with a light salt and pepper hit upfront.  Don't get carried away with the seasoning.  Shrimp take on what you give them easily.  The other thing about a shrimp is that they cook pretty darn quick.  If you are wondering if they are done more than likely they are.  Once a shrimp's color changes to a lovely pinkish tone it's pretty much ready.

If you are boiling shrimp, as soon as it floats it's done.  I'm not boiling here.  It's a pan saute' post.  I'm just saying. Please don't over cook your shrimp.  I'll be sad.  You'll be sad.  Your coach potato will be sad, but they had better keep that to themselves.

Think about the time each ingredient needs to get done at the texture you want.  You need a plan.  That's saying a lot since I'm a District Manager for Texans Who Don't Plan.  Plan your dish in the name of flavor.  I'm food driven, so planning a dish is a task I can live with.  I like to eat. I don't like dog food. 

For this dish (There actually is a dish in this post somewhere) I finely chopped some smoked sausage. A) for a little smokey salty flavor and B) to use its fat to sauté the shrimp and vegetables.







Once the fat was rendered I added a little butter, fresh chopped garlic, and red pepper flakes. At a decent level of heat let these ingredients infuse.  You know its time to move on when the garlic gets a little nutty brown and the red pepper flakes are hopping around.

After that took place this is how the rest came together.

In went the sliced red bell pepper. Not long after, in went the shrimp. As the shrimp started to color up, in went the yellow and red cherry tomatoes with a splash of chicken stock.  A brief sauté made for a nice broth like liquid with a sweet spicy hint. Topped it with some scallions and plated over an andante pasta. Dressed her up with freshly grated parmigiana. Salt and pepper to taste.







The basic pan saute' technique works for lots of proteins and vegetables.  Adapt it to your ingredients of the day.

Cheers! Scott

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