Ryan Lachaine's Pickled Shrimp
Chef Ryan Lachaine. Photo credit: Courtesy of Reef restaurant.
Yahoo Food is a proud sponsor of Indie Chefs Week, a three-night dinner series in Costa Mesa, California celebrating America’s best up-and-coming chefs. Every day, until the first dinner on October 16, we’ll feature one chef and his or her favorite recipe. Oh, and tickets are still available!
Who: Ryan Lachaine, chef de cuisine at Reef in Houston, Texas.
Tool he can’t live without: His Nenox slicer. If you haven’t noticed yet, chefs love Japanese knives. “I work in a seafood restaurant, so I’m cutting fish a lot,” Lachaine told us. This knife “is nice and reliable; I’ve had it for 3-4 years and I’ve never had a problem with it.”
Ingredient he’s obsessed with: Crystal Hot Sauce. He may be an ex-hockey player from Canada, but Lachaine loves this Louisiana-made condiment, which he discovered during a stage at Husk restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. “It’s really balanced,” he said. “I need something that has heat and acidity. I use it in everything.”
His recipe: Pickled Royal Red Shrimp with Coriander Yogurt, Radishes, Fennel and Fava Beans. This recipe may sound complicated, but it requires no cooking.
Pickled Royal Red Shrimp with Coriander Yogurt, Radishes, Fennel and Fava Beans
by Ryan Lachaine
Serves 4
1 lb. shell-on medium Royal Red shrimp
1/2 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced, plus fronds
1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 red jalapeño chile, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. Crystal Hot Sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
White pepper
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. fresh chopped dill
1/2 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 thinly sliced radish
1/2 cup cooked fava beans
Chopped fresh cilantro
Cook shrimp in a large pot of boiling salted water until just opaque in the center, about 2 minutes. Drain; shock in ice water to cool. Peel and devein.
Combine shrimp, fennel, onion, garlic, chile, 1/2 cup lemon juice, vinegar, hot sauce, and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, at least 30 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, dill, coriander and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add favas, radish and cilantro to shrimp. Serve drizzled with yogurt sauce.
