The Hirshon Chicago Shrimp DeJonghe

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Shrimp De Jonghe Image Used Under Creative Commons License From chicago.eater.com

Citizens, the unmitigated genius of your Leader – the sublime majesty that is TFD! – has the heartland of the United States in his sights today, a dish that helps define the culinary identity of Chicago! 🙂

Shrimp DeJonghe, a specialty of Chicago, is a casserole of whole peeled shrimp blanketed in soft, garlicky, sherry-laced bread crumbs. It can be served as an appetizer or a main course.

It has the oldest pedigree of Chicagoan cuisine, having originated in the late 19th or early 20th century at DeJonghe’s Hotel and Restaurant, 12 E. Monroe St. (1899–1923).

The recipe has been attributed to the owners, brothers Henri, Pierre and Charles DeJonghe, Belgian immigrants who came to Chicago to run a restaurant at the World’s Columbian Exposition, or their chef, Emil Zehr.

Whatever its origin, this recipe is a deserved classic and one that is by no means difficult to make. My version adds a touch of heat and smoke with a hint of smoked chili flakes from Daphnis and Chloe. I also specify chopped flowering heads of chives, if possible and some flowering thyme as well.

My recipe is based on one from the fantastic website, Cooks Country. I’m very grateful to their site for this and so many other fine American recipes!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Chicago Shrimp DeJonghe

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Ingredients

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs, toasted
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ⅛ cup minced fresh parsley
• ⅛ cup minced fresh flowering thyme
• ¼ cup minced heads of fresh flowering Chinese chives, if unavailable use regular chives
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 1 shallot, minced
• 7 garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon smoked chili flakes from Daphnis and Chloe, ground to a powder

Instructions

1. Try to find untreated shrimp—those without added salt or preservatives like sodium tripolyphosphate. Ask your fishmonger or read the label to see if your shrimp has been treated.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Using your fingers, combine panko, 7 tablespoons butter, parsley, thyme, chives, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg in medium bowl; set aside. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and transfer to large bowl.
3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, paprika and ground smoked chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add sherry and lemon juice and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes; transfer to bowl with shrimp and toss until shrimp are well coated.
5. Shingle shrimp in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Scrape any remaining garlic mixture from bowl over shrimp. Sprinkle panko mixture over shrimp. Bake until shrimp are pink and mixture is bubbling around edges, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with lemon wedges.
6. USING TREATED SHRIMP
7. Much of the shrimp on the market has been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) or salt. This treatment promotes moisture retention, which means the shrimp can be soggy. Always use untreated shrimp if possible.
8. However, if you can only find the treated kind, here’s a way to rid them of the extra moisture: Microwave the shrimp in a covered bowl until they just start to turn pink, about 4 minutes. (Typically, ¼ to ½ cup of liquid will be exuded.) Drain the shrimp in a colander and pat them dry with paper towels before proceeding with the recipe.

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