Shrimp with Warm Coleslaw

Being a bachelor this week means I can try something that sounds a bit weird. I saw this on Yahoo yesterday (courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens) and thought it sounded interesting.

Now, for those Americans amongst you, we actually call shrimp prawns. As far as I know, they are the same thing. And if Paul Hogan had ever said he'll throw another shrimp on the barbie back in Australia, he'd have been deported!


So, I have to say, this dish is not as weird as it sounds for a very simple reason...cabbage, carrots and red cabbage are "usually" eaten cooked. So, warm or cooked coleslaw, while sounding a bit strange, actually makes sense.


On with the recipe.

Ingredients:

16 fresh jumbo shrimp in shells (I only had large, so I put in 20)

8 slices thick-cut bacon, halved (if you are not in America, try and get American bacon as the Australian/English/Canadian type won't work)

1-1/2 lb. coleslaw mix (about 11 cups) that's a bag of pre-mixed

1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I thought it could use a touch less, try 3 tablespoons instead)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives (got mine straight from our herb garden)

Directions:

Peel and de-vein shrimp. Rinse shrimp; pat dry. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.

Transfer bacon to paper towels; reserve fat. You'll have to cook the bacon in batches, so each time you remove the cooked bacon, empty the fat into a container.

Return 2 tablespoons fat to pan.

Add shrimp to hot fat; cook and stir over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes or
until shrimp are opaque. Remove from pan; keep warm. I just threw them in some aluminium (yes, it's spelt correctly!) foil and sealed it.

Add coleslaw mix to hot pan (add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional bacon
fat if necessary; discard remaining fat). Cook and stir over medium
heat 6 minutes or until coleslaw mixture is wilted and just tender.

Stir in vinegar and chives. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Crumble cooked bacon and add it to coleslaw mix with the vinegar and chives.

Divide mixture among 4 plates and top each with 4 shrimp.

If you're at all concerned with calories, don't be. As I cooked this dish, it's 157 calories per serve. Because I'm a growing lad, I had 2 serves and have the rest in the fridge for another night. I'll just bung it in a frying pan and heat it up slowly so it doesn't burn.

Also, because, as some of you know, if you're not sweating, you're not eating, I threw some crushed red chilli and some cayenne pepper in for some bite.

I was thinking later tonight that I would really taste good if you had a seafood mix in it instead of just shrimp. I think I'll make it again but have shrimp, calamari rings and scallops.


Remember, it may look weird, but it tasted alright, was light in calories and easy to cook.

Enjoy.

Matt