Shrimp Sauté with Texas Vegetables
This quick sauté is a great way to feature summer vegetables — zucchini, corn, tomatoes and okra — at the height of their season. If you have access to wild Gulf shrimp, by all means use those; they’re much better than those farmed and shipped over from Southeast Asia. We love the okra garnish, achieved by halving them vertically and charring them a bit on a stovetop grill. But if you want to streamline the process and make it even quicker and easier, you can skip them.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Canola oil for oiling the grill (if using the okra garnish)
6 large, 8 medium or 12 small okra, sliced in half vertically (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1 to 2 serrano chiles (depending on their heat and how spicy you like it), seeds removed and minced
4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium ripe tomatoes, preferably heirloom, roughly chopped
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off and cobs discarded
1 1/4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
A big handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. If you’re using the okra garnish, heat a stovetop grill over high heat until it’s very hot. Brush it lightly with oil, and lay the okra halves, cut-side down on it. Let them sear until they’re a little charred and have nice grill-marks, a minute or two, then use tongs to flip them over. Grill on the other side until slightly charred, and tender yet still firm. Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion slices, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until they’re nearly translucent, then add the serrano chiles. Continue cooking until they’re translucent, about 6 minutes total.
3. Add the zucchini and salt, turn heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring now and then, until they’re starting to be tender and a golden, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and corn and cook until the tomatoes start to break down, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and half the cilantro, and a few grinds of pepper and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, about three or four minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as necessary.
4. Transfer to a serving platter or divide between four plates. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and the charred okra, if using.
Shrimp Sauté with Texas Vegetables
Ingredients
- Canola oil for oiling the grill (if using the okra garnish)
- 6 large, 8 medium or 12 small okra, sliced in half vertically (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
- 1 to 2 serrano chiles (depending on their heat and how spicy you like it), seeds removed and minced
- 4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes, preferably heirloom, roughly chopped
- 2 ears of corn, kernels cut off and cobs discarded
- 1 1/4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
- A big handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- If you’re using the okra garnish, heat a stovetop grill over high heat until it’s very hot. Brush it lightly with oil, and lay the okra halves, cut-side down on it. Let them sear until they’re a little charred and have nice grill-marks, a minute or two, then use tongs to flip them over. Grill on the other side until slightly charred, and tender yet still firm. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion slices, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until they’re nearly translucent, then add the serrano chiles. Continue cooking until they’re translucent, about 6 minutes total.
- Add the zucchini and salt, turn heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring now and then, until they’re starting to be tender and a golden, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and corn and cook until the tomatoes start to break down, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and half the cilantro, and a few grinds of pepper and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, about three or four minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as necessary.
- Transfer to a serving platter or divide between four plates. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and the charred okra, if using.