Shrimp and Pearls

The photo at the right shows how this was originally derived. The recipe shows how I would cook this the next time. The shrimp were cooked apart as were the tomatoes. The tarragon was put in with the tomatoes rather than with the couscous. They asked for plain white wine, not a fortified wine that adds flavor. There was butter and olive oil – now gone. They used large shrimp which cost more and are trouble to eat (where do you put the tails?). I would like a few for garnish, that’s all.

INGREDIENTS

 1    cup sugar snap peas

½    cup pearl couscous (Israeli)

1 ½ cups boiling water

¼   cup fortified white wine; Sherry, Marsala, Madeira

1    cup tomato, finely chopped

2    teaspoons dried tarragon

5-6 ounces small pre-cooked shrimp (bay shrimp?)

4-6 pre-cooked large shrimp for garnish

METHOD

Remove the strings from the peas and then cut into ½ inch pieces on the diagonal. Set aside. Cook the couscous in the boiling water, uncovered, for 5 minutes and add the wine, snap peas, tomatoes and tarragon.

Cook for another 5 minutes and add the small shrimp, stirring to mix in. Cook until thoroughly warmed. Serve with the large shrimp as garnish.

Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet magazine, June 2009