Citrus Shrimp + Polenta

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Add a little brightness to your January with this citrusy dish.  As usual, it looks fancier and more complicated than it actually is.  Bright orange, buttery shrimp, and smooth polenta combine for a satisfying but light meal. You can make polenta from scratch, but I prefer the log style because it cooks so much faster.  

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FOOD LA LA RECIPE: Citrus Shrimp + Polenta

Ingredients:

  • 1 log of polenta, cut into 1” thick slices

  • 1 TBS butter

  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced

  • ½ cup orange juice, fresh squeezed

  • ½ TBS olive oil

  • ½ pound of raw, wild shrimp

  • Sea salt

  • Optional:  edible flowers and orange segments for garnish

Steps:

  1. Melt 1 TBS of butter in skillet and add rounds of polenta.  Cover and let cook for 3-4 minutes.  Flip and repeat for 3-4 more minutes.  Set polenta aside.

  2. Melt ½ TBS of butter in empty skillet and add shallot.  Cook over medium heat until shallot and butter begins to gently brown (don’t let it burn!)

  3. Add orange juice and 1 TBS of butter to shallot.  Simmer and let liquid reduce for about 2 minutes, until about 1/3 cup of liquid is left.  Remove sauce and set aside.

  4. Add ½ TBS olive oil to pan and sauté shrimp until pink throughout – about 2 minutes.  Pour sauce over shrimp and toss to coat.

  5. Place a disk of polenta on serving plate, top with shrimp and spoon extra sauce over top.

  6. Garnish with edible flowers, orange segments, and sea salt!