Rach sautes and fries her way to a delicious southern-inspired dish that comes together with a melted pimiento cheese sauce.
- 20 large shrimp, deveined, tails on
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
- A few thin slices of lemon
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
- 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 small or 1 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
- 6 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup lager or white wine
- Cayenne sauce, to taste (Rach’s go-tos are Frank’s RedHot and Tabasco)
- Chopped parsley
- 3 large green tomatoes, cored, trimmed, 4 slices per tomato
- Salt
- 1 cup flour
- Black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs combined with panko
- ½ cup fine cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon each granulated garlic, onion and thyme
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- Safflower or canola oil, for shallow frying
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 round tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon each dry mustard and hot paprika or chili powder
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups milk
- Salt and pepper
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded yellow cheddar cheese or yellow Land O’ Lakes Easy Melt cheese
- 1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimiento, drained well
For the shrimp, combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and marinated shrimp uncovered for 1-4 hours in fridge. When tomatoes are done and you’re ready to serve shrimp, heat large skillet with oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high to high heat and sear the shrimp 1-2 minutes, turn, brown at edges, douse with juice of 1 lemon and remove to a plate. Reduce heat a bit and melt butter, add garlic, jalapenos and green onions, season with salt and pepper, and stir a minute or 2. Whisk in beer or wine, and add shrimp back to pan, toss to coat in sauce and add hot sauce to taste and a small handful of chopped parsley.
For the tomatoes, salt and drain on towels. Set up breading station: flour seasoned with salt and pepper, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs and cornmeal with spices and thyme in each of three shallow dishes. Heat oven to 375˚F and line a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. Heat about 1/8 inch frying oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Bread tomatoes in flour, egg, then breadcrumb mixture and cook to deep golden brown; remove to baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
For the sauce, in a skillet or saucepot, melt butter over medium heat and add garlic, stir, whisk in flour and dry spices, then Worcestershire, then milk, thicken and season with salt and pepper. Stir cheese into sauce to melt, add pimientos, and adjust seasoning.
Serve 3 fried green tomatoes per portion topped with cheese sauce and 5 shrimp with its sauce alongside.
