Chipotle Shrimp With Corn Cakes (Zwt Usa Southwest)

Description: From Bernard Clayton's Cooking Across America, posted for ZWT III. This looks like some work, but sounds lovely.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1 tablespoon crushed peppercorn
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 2 1/2 lbs uncooked medium shrimp (about 54)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 1/2 tablespoons pureed chipotle chiles
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal (polenta)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup corn kernel
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs tomatoes (roma are preferred)
• 3 serrano chilies
• 1 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 3 poblano chiles, roasted peeled seeded and julienne cut
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, tied
• 1 teaspoon salt

Steps:

1. Prepare ranchero sauce (makes 4 cups - need about 1 cup for recipe):.
2. lightly blacken tomatoes and serranos in a skillet or under the broiler, about 4-5 minutes.
3. chop together and set aside.
4. saute onion and garlic in oil in a saucepan over low heat till onions are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes.
5. combine all ingredients in the saucepan (reserve a few strips of julienned poblano for garnish). cook, partially covered, over low heat for 20-30 minutes, adding water if necessary.
6. Remove cilantro.
7. Garnish with a few strips of julienned poblanos.
8. Refrigerate till ready to use.
9. prepare corn cakes:.
10. place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
11. in a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk and butter together and then whisk in the egg.
12. gradually add the dry ingredients to the liquid and whisk till thoroughly incorporated.
13. puree 1/2 cup of the corn and fold it into the batter along with the remaining whole kernels and the scallions.
14. Add a little buttermilk if necessary to thin the batter.
15. using an ungreased pan over medium heat, ladle 1 T of the corn cake better and form 3-inch cakes.
16. Cook till golden brown, about 30 seconds each side.
17. stack and keep warm till served.
18. Shrimp:.
19. In a large pan, bring the water to a boil, add the lemon juice, peppercorns and salt.
20. Add the shrimp and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
21. Drain, cook, peel and devein.
22. Prepare chipotle butter - roughly puree together the butter, 1/2 lb of the peeled shrimp, and 1 1/2 T of chipotle puree.
23. Set aside at room temperature.
24. Just before serving, toss together the remaining pound of cooked shrimp with remaining 3 T of chipotle puree and heat through on a griddle, about 2 minutes.
25. To serve:.
26. place 3 corn cakes on each plate, place 3 shrimp on each cake and spread chipotle butter liberally over shrimp.
27. sprinkle the chopped scallions over shrimp.
28. Serve ranchero sauce at the side of the corn cakes.