White Wine Sangria & Serrano Wrapped Shrimp
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the Sangria:
- 1 750-ml bottle dry, crisp white wine, chilled
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)
- 1 medium lime, thinly sliced
- 1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 pint raspberries, rinsed
- 2 medium ripe peaches, nectarines or plums, cut in ¼ inch cubes
- Ice, as needed
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
- Sparkling water (optional)
For the Shrimp:
- 12 jumbo shrimp or large prawns, tail on and deveined
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 sprig fresh oregano leaves, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12 skewers
- 12 slices Serrano ham (or prosciutto or bacon)
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for cooking
For the Romesco:
- 1 large red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeds and membranes removed
- 3 medium tomatoes, broiled and diced into ½ inch cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ cup toasted almonds
- 2 thick slices baguette or country-style bread, lightly toasted
- 1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ¼ to ½ cup olive oil, as needed
Directions:
To make the sangria: In a large pitcher stir together the white wine, orange juice, Grand Marnier, brandy and sugar (if using). Add the lime rings, lemon rings, raspberries and diced peaches and stir. Taste and adjust accordingly, adding lemon juice for acidity or sugar (or agave) for sweetness. Refrigerate while preparing the shrimp.
To make the romesco sauce: In the bowl of a food processor or a blender place the roasted red pepper, broiled tomatoes and garlic; blend until the garlic is minced and peppers and tomatoes have broken down into chunks, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. Add the almonds, bread and chili flakes and pulse until a paste forms. Add the parsley, smoked paprika, two generous pinches of salt and black pepper. Pulse to combine. Pour in the sherry vinegar then, while the food processor is on, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup of olive oil. Add more as needed until the desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
To make the shrimp: In a medium bowl toss the prawns, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, smoked paprika and two generous pinches of salt along with some freshly ground black pepper. Carefully skewer the shrimp lengthwise so that they end up in a straight line on each skewer. Wrap each shrimp in one piece of serrano ham.
In a large skillet over medium high heat pour in approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil (2 good glugs will do). When the oil is shimmering add a few skewers to the pan, working in batches to ensure the shrimp cook evenly. Cook until the ham is crispy, approximately 2 minutes then flip and cook the other side. The shrimp should just be turning pink. Remove to a platter and repeat until all the shrimp are cooked.
Drain any fat from the skillet and return to medium high heat. Pour in the dry sherry and use a spoon to scrape off any fond (brown bits). Once the sherry has reduced by a little more than half, lower the heat to medium and swirl in the cold butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. When the sauce is emulsified turn off the heat and taste; season as needed.
Pour the sauce over the shrimp and garnish with chopped parsley.
To serve the sangria: Fill the glasses with ice then pour in the sangria; use a spoon to ensure each glass gets a healthy portion of fruit. Top off with sparkling water (optional). Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
