Barbecue Shrimp Bagna Cauda with Crudités

By á-9182

New Orleans-style “barbecue” shrimp is made with Creole seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, beer and butter, but David Kinch switches out those flavors here for a garlicky Italian anchovy sauce known as bagna cauda. No actual barbecuing is involved in either version.

Ingredients

• head of broccoli (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets
• 1 head of cauliflower (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets
• 1 fennel bulb (1 pound)—halved lengthwise, cored and cut into thin strips
• 8 medium fingerling potatoes
• 8 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
• 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups pure olive oil
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 16 large, unpeeled head-on shrimp
• 4 scallions, cut into 3-inch lengths
• Crusty bread, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Blanch the broccoli and cauliflower until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the ice water. Add the fennel to the pot and blanch for 1 minute; transfer to the ice water. Add the potatoes to the pot and cook until tender, 10 minutes; transfer to the ice water. Drain the vegetables and pat dry. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise.
2. On a surface, using the flat side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic and anchovies to a paste; scrape into a large, deep skillet. Add the butter, oil, black pepper and rosemary; bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Nestle the shrimp into the bagna cauda and cook, turning once, until just pink in spots. Cover and simmer until the shrimp are pink all over, 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
3. Arrange the vegetables, scallions and bread on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to another platter. Pour some of the bagna cauda sauce over the shrimp and the rest into a wide bowl. Serve right away with plenty of napkins.