Sweet Pepper Cream Shrimp
Submitted by halry912
Plump shrimp in a velvety cream sauce made with tri-color sweet peppers, apple juice, and a custom seasoning blend. Lightened up with evaporated skim milk and cream cheese, served over rice or pasta.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minThis is the kind of recipe where technique transforms simple ingredients into something that tastes way more indulgent than it actually is. Shrimp swim in a silky cream sauce built from three colors of sweet bell peppers, apple juice, and a custom spice blend of paprika, basil, thyme, nutmeg, and cayenne.
The trick is building layers. Onions and peppers cook down until caramelized, get pureed with dry milk powder for body, then return to the skillet with more fresh peppers for texture. A creamy mixture of evaporated skim milk and cream cheese gets blended smooth and stirred in at the end for richness without the guilt.
Served over rice or pasta, this is comfort food with restaurant polish and a lighter conscience.
Chef Tips
- Don’t let the cream sauce come to a full rolling boil. It will break and curdle. A gentle simmer is all you need once the creamy mixture goes in.
- Scrape the bottom of the skillet aggressively at each stage. Those brown bits are pure flavor and they dissolve right into the sauce.
- The apple juice might sound unusual, but it adds a subtle sweetness that plays off the peppers beautifully. Don’t substitute with water.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl.
Place the creamy mixture ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth and creamy.
Preheat a heavy 10-inch skillet over high heat to 350℉ (180℃) F, about 4 minutes.
Add the onions, ¼ cup each of the red, yellow, and green bell peppers, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix.
Stir, and cook 3 minutes.
Add the stock, ½ cup of the apple juice, and the garlic.
Scrape the bottom of the skillet to clear it of all brown bits, and cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 12 minutes.
Add ½ cup apple juice, scrape the bottom to clear it, and cook 2 minutes.
Transfer the mixture from the skillet to a blender, add the dry milk, and purée until smooth.
Return the puréed mixture to the skillet over high heat, and stir in the remaining bell peppers and the remaining ½ cup apple juice.
Cook, scraping the bottom occasionally to keep the mixture from sticking, for 7 minutes.
Add the remaining seasoning mix and shrimp, stir, and cook 3 minutes.
Stir in the creamy mixture.
Note: Dishes using these creamy mixtures can break or curdle easily if they are brought to a full boil.
Therefore, bring the liquid just to a gently boil, about 3 minutes, and stir immediately.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring continuously, until the shrimp are plump and firm, about 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
Remove 1 cup of the liquid, strain it, and purée it with the nonfat mayonnaise.
Stir this mixture back into the mixture in the skillet.
Serve over rice or pasta.
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