Purple Haze Shrimp
Serves 4 as a side, snack, app or light meal with plenty of leftover sauce.
16 16-20 or u-15 GULF shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact.
3 oz unsalted butter
12 ounces pineapple juice
5-6 each habanero chile, stemmed, seeds intact, or more, or less
1 cups red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 teaspoons ginger, dry
1 teaspoons thyme, fresh, divided
4 ounces cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch (optional)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup pineapple, diced
3 scallions, sliced
To make the sauce.
Put the habaneros, cabbage and onions in a food processor and pulse to chop everything very fine.
Put this mix in a non reactive pot with the pineapple juice, vinegar, ginger, cornstarch, brown sugar, salt and half of the thyme. Bring to a boil then simmer 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors. This is the Purple Haze sauce. Cool and jar it up. It will last, refrigerated for up to one month or more.
To make the dish, use a heavy skillet.
Melt half the butter and then arrange the shrimp in an even layer in the pan. Cook over medium high heat until the shrimp begin to caramelize on one side. You want them golden brown.
Turn the shrimp over and add about 6 oz of sauce. Bring to a boil, then add the rest of the butter. and swirl to melt it in. Spoon our 4 shrimp per person, smothered in sauce.
Garnish wit fresh pineapple, scallions and sprinkle with the remaining thyme!
Enjoy with beer, a fruity cocktail or a glass of cold white wine like the Finger Lakes riesling in the picture. Don’t do red wine!!! It will make the peppers hotter and will also make the cabbage bitter.