Scampi in Chilled Tomato and Orange Sauce with Mint
Chef Bartolotta notes that this dish is made with real scampi — langoustines. However, it is equally delicious with large shrimp, or prawns. A sauce and compote of tomato, orange, and mint provide a bright accent to the seafood.
Ingredients
- Langoustines - 12 (alt Large Shrimp)
- Mint - 1 bunch
- Tomato - 8, blanched, peeled, and seeded
- Oranges - 4
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 8 teaspoons, preferably Ligurian
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - To drizzle
Instructions
Set aside 4 mint sprigs and 8 large mint leaves. Cut the large mint leaves into very fine julienne. Cut 16 1/2-inch diamond shapes from the tomato and set aside. Cut all the skin and rind from the oranges and cut out the segments, leaving no skin attached to the segments. Set aside 12 orange segments.
Remove the tail meat from the langoustines or shrimp and discard the shells. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and plunge in the tail meat. Let the water return to a boil and cook 1 minute. Remove the tails with a slotted spoon and plunge into ice water. Remove and drain.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the remaining mint, tomato, and orange segments. Season with salt and pepper. When the tomato and orange segments are warmed through, remove the pan from the heat and set into a large bowl of ice: you are extracting oils from the mint in this process, but not cooking the tomato and orange segments.
When the mixture has cooled, remove the mint and puree the remaining ingredients until smooth. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve, cover, and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
In a small saute pan, warm the tomato diamonds, orange segments, and mint julienne.
To serve: Divide the chilled tomato-orange sauce among four soup bowls. Place spoonfuls of the tomato-orange-mint compote in the center of each. Arrange three langoustine tails or shrimp in the sauce around the compote in each bowl. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and garnish each with a mint sprig.
