CASK & LARDER’S FLORIDA SHRIMP

Living in Louisiana for many years with New Orleans a mere hours drive away has regrettably jaded me when it comes to dinning out. I will not waste time ranting about the awesomeness of restaurants in the Big Easy but ever since I left the state it has been hard to find anything close, anywhere else. I live in Orlando Florida now going on 20 plus years and let's just say when I arrived here, Olive Garden was considered haute cuisine. But things are changing and have changed over the past few years. Orlando is quickly becoming a micro hot bed for passionate chefs leading a flourishing farm-to-table movement. They are creating a growing independent restaurant scene and sourcing local ingredients that showcase the abundance of Florida's fresh fish and seafood resources.

Leading the way is James and Julie Petrakis. They made a splash with their first restaurant here in Orlando, The Ravenous Pig, then followed up that success in 2012 by opening Cask and Larder. Both gastropubs and both offering inventive seasonal menu items. The two places have earned them several James Beard Award nominations. You can learn all about dining in and around Orlando by checking out Tasty Chomps, an excellent food blog focused on shedding light on the local central florida culinary scene. They will occasionally post recipes from the chefs as well. That's where I found this recipe which I have adapted somewhat.

To me this recipe represents Florida's answer to a signature dish found throughout Louisiana, BBQ Shrimp. Check that earlier post on CCF to understand what I am talking about. Like BBQ shrimp, the taste of this dish is so  unique that explanation becomes difficult. You just have to taste it and then you will be hooked for life. The best part is sopping up the buttery sauce with fresh baked Cuban bread. Dare I say that this Cask and Larder version trumps all of the New Orleans and Lafayette offerings? Touche' Orlando. Touche'.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/2 fennel bulb, cleaned and sliced
• 1 cup Abita Turbo Dog beer
• 1 cup shrimp or seafood stock
• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fennel pollen
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lb Florida or gulf jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail on (reserve shells)
• hot sauce aioli for dipping (2 tablespoon Duke's mayo and 2 tablespoons Gator Hammock Swamp Gator hot sauce, or your favorite)
• fresh baked Cuban loaf torn into pieces

PREPARATION:

First off, read thoroughly. It involves two pans. You can cook the shrimp in the sauce rather than using the second pan if you rather. I just like to get a little sear on the shrimp.

Heat  1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion and fennel slices and keep them moving until they are browned and a bit limp. Adjust the heat if necessary to keep them from burning. Next add the reserved shrimp shells then the beer and deglaze the pan. Reduce the liquid by half on high heat, stirring frequently. Then add the stock and reduce that by half. Then the orange juice and again reduce by half. This helps build flavor complexity. With a slotted spoon, remove the onion and fennel slices along with the shrimp shells and discard. Lower the heat and melt the butter into the reduction. Add the orange zest and fennel pollen to the reduction and add salt and pepper to taste. In a separate pan, heat the final tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about 3 minutes or until just opaque. Keep them moving to prevent burning. Carefully add the shrimp to the pan with the reduction and stir. Serve the shrimp along with the reduction, chunks of fresh Cuban or French bread for sopping and the hot sauce aioli for dipping.

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