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Fans of the television show Top Chef will recognize this dish. This shrimp dish certainly spiced things up with the contestants. The dish has four Asian themed components: spicy marinated grilled shrimp, pickled chili peppers and cukes, miso glazed bacon, and deviled aioli. The team of Lisa Fernandes, Dale Talde, and Stephanie Izard created this dish to win the challenge during episode 5 of season 4. The theme of the episode was The Elements, with this dish representing "fire". In addition to winning the challenge one of the members of the winning team was rewarded with a trip to Italy for creating the best component of the dish. This prize went to Lisa for her miso glazed bacon. Dale was unhappy about this result, but I didn't think it was completely unexpected. Did Dale really expect to win a trip to Italy for making a pickled pepper garnish? Then again, his original recipe called for 7 pounds of peppers, so maybe he thought they should take center stage. When I made this for Melanie and K a couple weeks ago, the bacon certainly was the star! Grilled Shrimp with Pickled Chili Salad and Miso Glazed Bacon
(makes an appetizer for 4)
adapted from Top Chef Episode 5 Season 4 Ingredients: Pickled Chili Relish:
5 chili peppers of different colors
5 mini bell peppers of different colors
1-1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 English cucumber sliced thin
3/4 cup canola oil
1/8 cup sesame oil Shrimp:
8 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 cloves garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons ginger, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sambal, chili garlic
Salt and pepper to taste Deviled Aioli:
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs, hardboied, whites discarded
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sambal
1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce Miso-glazed Bacon:
4 thick cut bacon strips
1/2 cup shiro (white) miso
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup rice wine vinegar
3/4 cup mirin Pickled chili relish:
Choose a colorful array of peppers. If you like your food spicy add more chili peppers per bell pepper or vice versa. Slice peppers into 1/8-inch thick rings using a mandolin or sharp knife. Slice cucumbers into 1/8-inch slices. Wash pepper rings repeatedly under cold water to remove seeds and inner rind. In a sauce pot bring vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt to a simmer. When sugar is dissolved remove from heat. Pour over peppers and cucumbers. Let marinate for an hour. Bring oils to smoking poing and pour over peppers and cucumbers. Shrimp:
Mix all ingredients together and toss with shrimp. Let sit in fridge for at least one hour then grill over high heat about 2 minutes per side. Deviled Aioli:
In a bowl mix egg yolk with dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in oil, pouring in a very slow, until thickened like mayonnaise. Don't cease from whisking until all of the oil is incorporated. Push hardboiled yolk through the small side of a cheese grater and add to mayonnaise. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Miso-glazed Bacon:
Preheat oven to 375F. In a heavy saucepot whisk together miso, syrup, wine vinegar, and mirin and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and reduce sauce until thick and glossy, about half an hour. Meanwhile lay bacon on parchment paper and place on a baking sheet. Cover bacon with another sheet of parchment paper. Place a smaller baking sheet on top of bacon and weigh down with a heavy casserole dish. Place in preheated oven and bake for 11 minutes. Remove bacon and lay on a new sheet pan with parchment paper. Heavily glaze bacon with miso sauce. Return to oven and bake for 2 to 3 minutes. Peel glazed bacon off parchment to serve. Plating the dish:
Put a spoonful of aioli in the middle of the plate and drizzle a bit more around the edge. Place 2 shrimp in the center of each plate. Top with a few peppers and a cucumber slice or two, pickling juice drained. Place a strip of miso-glazed bacon along-side shrimp.
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