Simple Seaside Spices

Gamberi allo Zenzero con Sedano e Fagioli, su Coucous

Ginger Shrimp with Celery & Beans on Couscous

I love shrimp in almost any combination, they are just so full of flavor and have a great texture! Some ingredients go really well with shrimp though... ginger for example, or celery... and what a coincidence- I used both those ingredients in this dish!

Together with ginger and chili flakes and combined with some fresh beans and fluffy couscous, I rustled up this delicious dish of spicy shrimp in next to no time this evening- and it tasted every bit as good as it looks!

I started off by preparing the couscous which was very easy. I added finely chopped parsley and celery leaves, lemon zest, finely chopped onion, chives and a little olive oil to the couscous, stirred it together well, added boiling water until everything was well covered, seasoned with salt, pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice and simply set it to one side. That's what I love about couscous- no work, no "cooking" as such- it just simply takes care of itself!

Next, I chopped up some celery, de-stringed the beans and started them frying in a little olive oil. I added finely chopped ginger, garlic and onion after a couple of minutes- if I had added them from the start they would have become too brown as finely chopped as they were. After another couple of minutes, I added the shrimp and turned up the heat to the highest setting.

I sautéed everything together for 1-2 minutes, until the shrimp had become a lovely bright pink, then deglazed the frying pan with a splash of vodka, the juice of half a lemon and a splash of water and then the tiniest touch of honey- just to give everything a very light glaze.

I served the shrimp, celery and beans up on the couscous, with a scattering of parsley and celery leaves and gave them a generous sprinkle of chili flakes and a last little squeeze of lemon. By making sure that everything was only briefly fried, the beans retained their color and bite, the shrimp remained juicy and delicious and all of the individual flavors  were clearly defined but lovely in combination together. Which is just the way it should be! And I hope you try it out some time and agree!