Stewed Shrimp with Pastry by Sharon Peele Kennedy
For the pastry:
1 1/2 cup flour
3 teaspoons water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
For the stew:
1/2 cup diced salt pork
1 small onion, cut into small dice
3 medium potatoes, cut into medium dice
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups water
1/2 cup flour blended with 1/2 cup water to form a slurry
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
Prepare the pastry dough: Stir all ingredients with fork until firm and not sticky, adding a little more flour if necessary. Set aside. These will be boiled separately later in a medium size pot filled with 4 to 5 cups of salted water.
Start the stew: Place a medium-size soup pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the diced salt pork and cook until pork fate has rendered and pieces have browned.
If there is too much oil in the pan from the pork, pour off the excess.
Add onions to the rendered pork fat in the soup pot set over medium heat. Cook briefly until the onions are translucent. Do not let the onions brown. Add the potatoes to the pot and stir them to coat with oil. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Add water to the pot and bring to a slow boil. Stir in some of the slurry. Cover the pot and simmer slowly for about 15 minutes.
Prepare the shrimp: While potatoes are simmering, season the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp a few at a time to the pan, being careful not to crowd the shrimp. Let the shrimp brown. Remove browned shrimp to a dish. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp. Set browned shrimp aside to cool.
When shrimp have cooled, cut into small pieces and set aside.
Finish the pastry: Roll out the pastry dough very thin and cut into short strips or small squares. Cook in boiling water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Assemble the stew: When the potatoes are tender, add more slurry to thicken the stew if needed. Add the shrimp to the pot and spoon in the cooked pastry. Simmer stew for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve with corn cakes and pickled lettuce.
