SERVES 7
Ingredients
• 2 pounds medium shrimp, wild-caught
• ⅓ cup brandy or cognac
• 1 onion, chopped coarse
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped coarse
• 1 celery rib, chopped coarse
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• ⅓ cup tapioca or arrowroot flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 (8-ounce) bottles paleo-friendly clam juice
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 sprig fresh tarragon
• Rendered Animal Fat
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Preparation
1. Peel and devein one pound of shrimp, reserving shells, and cut each shrimp into three pieces; refrigerate until needed.
2. Heat a twelve-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the remaining pound of shrimp and reserved shrimp shells and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add brandy, and warm through, about 5 seconds. Wave a lit match over the pan until the brandy ignites, then shake the pan to distribute the flames.
3. When flames subside, transfer the flambéed shrimp mixture to a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a fine meal—10 to 20 seconds. Transfer to bowl. Pulse onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped, about five pulses.
4. Combine processed shrimp and vegetables in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for an additional minute. Gradually whisk in wine and clam juice, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened and flavors meld, about 20 minutes.
5. Strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to release as much liquid as possible. Discard solids and wipe the pot clean.
6. Combine strained broth, coconut milk, lemon juice, and tarragon in the now-empty pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in reserved shrimp pieces and simmer until shrimp are bright pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, discard tarragon, stir in oil or rendered animal fat, and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual portions with chives before serving.
Chef’s Note: Shrimp come in a variety of sizes and are typically identified by count per pound. Use this chart to determine which shrimp to purchase for the recipe. Shrimp per pound:
• 10 shrimp or less = Colossal
• 11 to 15 = Jumbo
• 16 to 20 = Extra-large
• 21 to 30 = Large
• 31 to 35 = Medium
• 36 to 45 = Small
• about 100 = Miniature
