Shrimp Potpie

This recipe serves 6 - but is easily divided.
Prep dry ingredients for cornmeal biscuit dough - mix in large mixing bowl:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbs cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbs sugar

3 Tbs butter
3 leeks, white parts only, chopped
1 minced garlic clove
Saute 4 minutes until leeks are translucent.

Add, cook and stir for 1 minute:
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 Tbs flour

Add and cook for 1 minute:
2 cups corn kernels (fresh off cob, or canned niblets work)
1 carrot, roughly diced
1 cup sugar snap peas
leaves from one head of baby bok choy

Add and cook 7-8 minutes until liquid reduces by two-thirds:
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream

While liquid reduces, make cornmeal biscuit dough by mixing into dry ingredients:
6 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
3/4 cups nonfat buttermilk
Cut butter into dry ingredients, then stir in buttermilk until dough holds together.

Back at the stove, add and cook until pink (2-3 minutes max):
1 lb rock shrimp peeled and deveined (or regular shrimp, but roughly cut into bite-size pieces)

Divide shrimp sauce into six 8 oz ramekins. Divide biscuit dough on top (don't seal the top of ramekins with dough - leave a little bit of room around the rim of the ramekin). Bake ramekins on cookie sheet for 12 minutes at 450 degrees.

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living.

Shrimp with Charred Red Peppers

One of my absolute favorite recipes from Tom. Well, he got it from..."Good Food of Szechuan," I think.

3/4 lb cleaned shrimp (he and I both usually round up to a pound)
1 cup cold water
1/2 tsp salt

Marinade:
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tsp water
1/2 egg white (just use the whole egg white and drain excess at end)
1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp green onion chopped (I usually chop 4-5 stalks)
1 tsp finely chopped ginger (Tom usually uses at least 1 Tbs - I usually slice up an inch and a half of ginger and put it in the cuisinart with the garlic)
1 tsp finely chopped garlic (Tom says he uses more - I usually throw 6 cloves in the cuisinart with the ginger)

Seasonings:
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp waters
1 1/2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar (rice, cider, white - but not wine or balsamic)
2 tsp rice wine or dry sherry (look for Shao Xing Rice Wine in a brown bottle with a red label at your local asian market)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt (Tom and I often skip the salt at this stage)
1/2 tsp black pepper (try to use fresh ground pepper)

Approx 6 Tbs oil (peanut or vegetable)

Put cleaned shrimp in bowl with 1/2 tsp salt and cold water. Let stand 2 minutes, then rinse with cold water until shrimp start to turn slightly white (about 1 minute). Add egg, cornstarch-in-water, and salt to drained shrimp. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Chop onion, ginger, garlic. Clean red peppers (that's what the book says - I don't do this: what's to clean? I use dried red chili peppers). Set aside.

Mix seasonings and set aside.

To cook: Heat 3-4 Tbs oil in wok over high heat. Drain excess marinade from shrimp, then add shrimp to wok and stir-fry only 8-10 seconds (Tom says go a bit longer - I say don't overcook - cook just long enough for the whole exterior of the shrimp to turn pink). Remove immediately, drain and set aside.

Add oil to wok to equal 4 Tbs. Heat, then stir-fry red peppers over medium heat until peppers begin to char and are almost black (Joan sez: if they've turned black by now, remove them to the shrimp bowl). Add green onion, ginger and garlic and stir fry briefly. Return shrimp to wok, stir. Re-stir the seasonings before adding to the wok. Stir-fry just long enough to coat the shrimp with the seasonings - by which time, the shrimp should be fully cooked. Remove and serve hot with rice.

Joan's notes: I like to wash the rice first, then while it drains, clean the shrimp. Rice usually takes about 20 minutes, so take a load off - or do all the prep work and have it all lined up for cooking quickly.