Coconut-Lime Shrimp and Rice

  

    
The moon shown brightly this morning, as full as it was intense.  I had seen it the night before, high in the night’s sky, but now, setting in the western sky, it lit the pre-dawn morning so brilliantly that it cast shadows of light onto my feet.  I was up before the sun had yet to rise, and now was witnessing a different kind of brightness, that lit up the entire room, turning night nearly into day.  It was a drenching brightness, the kind of light that bathes something or someone.  And in that way, it reminded me of two weeks previously, of a moonlight dappling a shoulder, lighting a neck, providing enough light to provide a vision with a memory.  The light reminded me also of the sounds of that evening past, the crashing waves on a beach, the rhythmic throwing of the ocean onto the shore.  It also reminded me of the tastes of that island paradise, tropical fruits mixed with exotic Indian spices.  I don’t know if those feelings led me to choose this meal, or my menu choice was an attempt to rekindle those feelings, but the scents of coconut, lime, cumin and shrimp now filled my nose as it had filled me before.  Cooking can do that for you too.  Rekindling a memory, feelings associated with tastes and smells.  On any given night you can take yourself on a journey, to a place or a memory.  Coconut-lime did it for me, maybe it will for you too.  Thank you to Bobby Flay’s Boy Gets Grill for the shrimp journey and Darien Schmidt for a new favorite rice recipe.  Serves 2.

    

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken stock

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp saffron

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ½  tsp fish sauce

1 ½ tsp lemon juice

½ tsp ground cumin

Pinch dried crushed chili

1 ¾ cup coconut milk

1 cup basmati rice

zest of 1 lime

juice of 1 lime

1” piece of ginger, minced

4 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

2 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped

½ lb shrimp, shelled

    

Directions:

In a medium pot over high heat, mix the stock, turmeric, saffron, garlic, fish sauce, lemon juice, cumin and chili.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Add ¾ cup of coconut milk and the rice and return to a boil.  Stir, cover and lower the heat to a simmer.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix the remaining coconut milk, lime zest and juice, ginger, 2 tbsp oil, cilantro and chilis.  Add the shrimp and allow to marinate.  When the rice is done cooking, fluff the rice with a fork, turn the heat to warm and allow to steam. 

Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp of oil.  Remove the shrimp and shake off the excess marinade.  When the oil is hot, add the shrimp, taking care not to crowd.  Cook a couple of minutes until browned on one side and then turn, browning the other side.  Cook in two batches if necessary, draining and wiping the pan in between to remove the excess liquid (which will steam the shrimp instead of browning and grilling).  Remove the shrimp to a plate and pour the remaining cooking oil over the shrimp.  Serve with the rice.