Chef Regina’s Pepper Marinade with Shrimp

Hello, Welcome to Djalali Cooks! I am really excited to share this recipe with you today. While on the American Queen steamboat, I met Regina Charboneau. Regina is the Culinary Ambassador of American Queen Voyages. As it turns out she and I have some things in common; we both lived in Alaska and San Francisco and we both love to cook! We had a lot to talk about and I am looking forward to getting to know Regina better when we travel to her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi in June to take her biscuit cooking class.

In the meanwhile, I want to share Chef Regina’s Pepper Marinade. While on the cruise, she showed us how to make this Pepper Marinade with oysters – it was amazing! She suggests also using this marinade for shrimp or salmon, so today I am poaching shrimp in the Pepper Marinade. So let’s get to it!

Chef Regina’s Pepper Marinade

As I mentioned, we had this Pepper Marinade spooned on to oysters on the half shell, that were then broiled. Since oysters might not be available to many of you, today I am going to poach large, peeled shrimp in the marinade. You can serve this as an appetizer with toasted baguette slices. After trying this I did think the shrimp would be amazing served over pasta too, if you want to make a meal of it.

The main ingredient in this marinade is cracked black pepper. Two tablespoons of it. You want to use black peppercorns, cracked by you for the ultimate peppery flavor. To save my hands from cranking out two tablespoons of pepper, I am going to use my spice grinder to lightly crack the peppercorns.

You don’t want to grind the peppercorns to a powder. Just pulse the grinder a few times to crack the peppercorns and keep most of it intact. Otherwise, we have butter, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon and minced fresh basil.

In a 12-inch skillet, over low heat, combine the butter, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, basil and garlic. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, then squeeze the juice of half a lemon. Stir in the lemon juice.

While the sauce is simmering, you can toast or fry baguette slices in a separate skillet with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Keep the heat medium-low, let the oil get hot before adding the baguette slices. Then let the baguette slices toast gently. Flip them over and move them around the skillet as needed to evenly toast the bread to golden.

Poach the Shrimp

After the Pepper Marinade has been simmering for about 15 minutes, Add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer. Gently poach the shrimp In the marinade, stirring occasionally until the shrimp is opaque and lightly pink.

Transfer the cooked shrimp to a serving plate. The shrimp releases a lot of liquid as it cooks, so once the shrimp is transferred out, increase the heat to medium/medium-low and let the marinade cook down slightly.

Cut the heat and spoon the marinade over the shrimp.

Sprinkle the top of the shrimp with more minced basil for presentation. Serve with the toasted baguette slices.

Chef Regina’s Pepper Marinade with Shrimp

I could have just sat here and eaten the whole bowl of this shrimp poached in Chef Regina’s Pepper Marinade! The Worcestershire sauce is a prominent flavor along with the pepper making this marinade super savory and peppery. It’s rich, thanks to the butter, and it’s balanced with the basil and the lemon juice. Serving this marinade with shrimp is a great combination because the natural sweetness of the shrimp is a perfect counterpoint to the savory, peppery marinade.

I do hope you give Chef Regina’s Pepper Marinade a try. It’s wonderful and versatile. Spooning the marinade over broiled salmon is another recommendation Chef Regina offers. I am already looking forward to trying that – I might spoon it over my Herby Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Smashed Potatoes. To do this without too many competing flavors, I’d forgo the melted herb butter and just use Chef Regina’s Pepper Marinade. Give it a go! Take care and be well, xo Kelly

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Chef Regina's Pepper Marinade with Shrimp

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Appetizer, side dish, snack, light Meal – American

By Chef Regina Charboneau + Kelly Djalali – Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 Minutes – Cooking Time: 20 Minutes – Total Time: ~30 Minutes

Peppery and rich, Chef Regina's Pepper Marinade is a super versatile marinade that pairs beautifully with shrimp, salmon and oysters.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tbsp. Minced Fresh Basil Leaves (plus a little more for garnish)
• 2 tbsp. Cracked Black Pepper - You want to use black peppercorns cracked by you. Do not use Coarse Ground Pepper.
• 2 tbsp. Minced Garlic
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 1 lb. 16/20 Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Toasted Baguette Slices for Serving

Instructions

1

You want to use black peppercorns, cracked by you for the ultimate peppery flavor.

2

You don't want to grind the peppercorns to a powder. Just pulse the grinder a few times to crack the peppercorns and keep most of it intact.

3

In a 12-inch skillet, over low heat, combine the butter, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, basil and garlic. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, then squeeze the juice of half a lemon. Stir in the lemon juice.

4

After the Pepper Marinade has been simmering for about 15 minutes, Add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer. Gently poach the shrimp In the marinade, stirring occasionally until the shrimp is opaque and lightly pink.

5

Transfer the cooked shrimp to a serving plate. The shrimp releases a lot of liquid as it cooks, so once the shrimp is transferred out, increase the heat to medium/medium-low and let the marinade cook down slightly.

6

Cut the heat and spoon the marinade over the shrimp.

7

Sprinkle the top of the shrimp with more minced basil for presentation. Serve with the toasted baguette slices.

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