Print Options:

Shrimp with Summer and Winter Squash in Coconut Buttermilk Sauce

Yields4 Servings

bmilk shrimp platetd

Ingredients
 1 lb shrimp in the shell
 1 small bunch fresh coriander
 3 cups water
 1 tsp fennel seeds
 1 tsp coriander seeds
 ½ tsp white peppercorns
 1 tsp salt
 1 tsp sugar
 1 tsp turmeric
 1 tbsp butter, unsalted
 ½ large onion, coarsely chopped
 ½ kabocha, acorn or other small winter squash, roasted (see gratuities)
 2 small yellow summer squash, quartered and cubed
 ½ cup flaked or shredded coconut, unsweetened
 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
Directions
1

Shell the shrimp, reserving the peeled shrimp in the fridge. Place the shrimp shells in a small pot with the 3 cups of water and the stems from the bunch of coriander. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about a half hour. Strain, and return the strained liquid to the pot. Boil down for 20 minutes or so, until you have about 3/4 cup of liquid.

shrimp shells

2

Grind together the fennel, white peppercorns and coriander seed. Add the sugar, salt and turmeric and set aside. In a large fry pan or shallow casserole, melt the butter and saute the onion and summer squash until the onion is translucent and the squash just tender. Add the spice mix and coconut and saute a minute longer to bloom and blend all the flavors, then set aside.

3

When you are just about ready to serve, whisk the buttermilk into the cornstarch. Add to the sauteed vegetables and spices along with the roasted squash and bring to a simmer for a minute or two, until the sauce thickens. Add the shrimp and cook just until done, about two minutes more. Serve over rice, couscous, or the starch of your choice.

shrimp veg saute

Gratuities
4

So much lovely thinking went into this recipe. Not mine, of course, but I discovered it in such a weird setting - the chapter on fuzzy gourds in Elizabeth Schneider's mammoth and definitive Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini - that I'll take credit for it anyway.

I like that she uses the shrimp shells to make a concentrated, shrimpy broth. I like that she uses the coriander stems. I like the "doh" moment it gave me when I realized I could use buttermilk as a lighter, fresher-tasting alternative to canned coconut milk or diluted yogurt. It's ultra-amazing that she designed this, if that's the right word, to go with fuzzy gourds, which I'm lucky to see maybe twice a year in my ordinary super.

So you don't have fuzzy gourds on hand? Too bad, but you have plenty of company. I had some roasted leftover kabocha squash (peeled, sliced, oiled and roasted on a sheet pan in a 350 oven for around 25 minutes), and plenty of fresh yellow summer squash, which is actually pretty close to fuzzy gourd. I am making this again, though, as soon as I find some of those baby, UFO-shaped patty pan squash. I've only ever had fuzzy gourd in soup, which is where it belongs.

Squash prep

Nutrition Facts

Servings 0