Rocco Dispirito Shrimp Food

GRILLED SHRIMP GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Preheat grill, grill pan or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Pour the pico de gallo into a blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the vegetable mix to blender and pulse until well chopped. Pour the mixture in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, stir and pour the gazpacho into 4 soup bowls.
• Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and grill until warmed through, about 1 minute per side. Place the shrimp evenly over the gazpacho and add cilantro. Serve with fresh lime wedge.

SHRIMP PAELLA WITH CHORIZO

Steps:

• Shrimp are normally an ingredient in paella and so is chorizo but I left the chicken and several other ingredients out to simplify it for you.
• In a large saute pan heat chorizo over medium heat until fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add tomato, chicken broth, and saffron; bring to a simmer. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add rice and frozen peas; stir to combine. Cover and bring up to a simmer. Let cook for about 2 minutes. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and lay on top of rice mixture. Cover and continue to cook until shrimp are just done, about 4 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve.

CRISPY LEMONY SHRIMP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a glass baking dish, toss together the shrimp, garlic, bread crumbs, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss again. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and bake in the oven until the shrimp are just cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• While the shrimp cook, heat a 10 or 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining olive oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the escarole to the pan and saute until wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve with the shrimp.

CHEF ROCCO DISPIRITO'S BBQ RIBS

Steps:

• Take 1 rack of baby back ribs and trim all visible fat. Then, season with salt and pepper and place on a 2-foot long piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet.
• In a separate bowl, combine the paprika, liquid smoke, ketchup and red wine vinegar.
• Pour sauce over ribs and turn to coat completely. Scatter onions and garlic over the top. Place the foil over the ribs so it's tightly sealed. Place on the grill for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Or, to enjoy all year round, place in the oven at 425°F for 1/2 hour and then lower to 275°F for another hour, until meat is tender.

MAMA'S MARINARA SAUCE AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• MAMA'S MARINARA SAUCE.
• Cook the garlic and onion in the olive oil in a sauce pot over a medium-low flame, about 10 minutes or until garlic is tender and onions translucent, not brown (this is called "sweating" because it will draw out a lot of moisture and flavor).
• Add all the tomato products. Pour the chicken stock into one of the 28-ounce cans. Fill it the rest of the way with water and add that and the sugar to the pot. Stir and bring to a simmer. Taste and season with red pepper flakes and salt, and cover. Simmer the sauce for about 1 hour. The sauce should be fairly thin but not watery and very smooth. Uncover and simmer for 3 minutes. If it is too thin for your taste, add a little water if it seems thick.
• MAMA'S MEATBALLS.
• Place the chicken stock, onion, garlic, and parsley in a food processor and purée.
• In a large bowl, combine the puréed stock mix, meat, bread crumbs, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, red pepper flakes, and salt. Combine with both hands until the mixture is distributed evenly. Do not overmix.
• Put a little olive oil on your hands and form the mixture into balls a little larger than golf balls. They should be about ¼ cup each, though if you prefer bigger or smaller, it will only affect the browning time.
• Pour about ½ inch of olive oil into a straight-sided, 10-inch-wide sauté pan and heat over a medium-high flame. Add the meatballs to the pan (working in batches, if necessary) and brown the meatballs well on all sides. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the meatballs are browning, heat the marinara sauce in a stockpot over medium heat. Lift the meatballs out of the sauté pan with a slotted spoon and put them in the marinara sauce. Stir gently. Simmer for one hour.
• Serve with a little extra Parmigiano-Reggiano sprinkled on top.

STEAK PIZZIAOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
• Season beef on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Saute beef until browned on both sides.
• Transfer steak to an oven baking dish.
• Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over steaks.
• Bake, uncovered for about an hour or until beef is tender.
• Adjust seasonings, if necessary by adding more salt and pepper.

SHRIMP AND CHORIZO PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add chorizo and cook until fat begins to render.
• Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
• Add saffron, rice and broth, cover pot and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.
• Stir in diced tomatoes and juice, cover pot and continue to cook another 25 minutes.
• Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
• Stir shrimp and peas into mixture, adding more broth if rice appears dry.
• Cover, and continue to cook until shrimp are coked through and rice is tender (about 10 - 15 minutes).
• Allow paella to rest for 5 minutes.
• Fluff rice with fork and serve.